Again
by keroberus
Summary: Chihiro, now in high school, has mysteriously lost all memory of her adventures in the spirit world. A chance meeting with a stranger who is an old friend brings her to her last adventure if she doesn't live through it. Revised 5/11/09
1. Forgetfulness of Memory

This is my favorite Miyazaki film! I make no claim to the characters or the original work. This is just my take on what happens afterwards.

After all, Haku did say that they were going to meet again.…

-Kero.

* * *

Chapter 1: Forgetfulness of Memory

She finished sketching the little white flower on her drawing paper and stuffed the pocket notebook into her bag. This flower was called "dragon's breath" by the locals and both its name and delicate snowflake qualities had caught her attention. Overhead, the midday sun was beginning to change it's setting from "toast" to "bake."

The hike around the countryside just outside of the town where they were staying was going longer than expected, but she didn't really mind. The outdoors and the exercise appealed to her, and this summer school trip for extra credit was turning out to be real fun; much better than being inside a classroom. There were daily hikes, lunchtime visits to shrines and temples, and afternoon lectures on Japanese history and culture, all of which appealed to her. As their homeroom teacher Mr. Takada continued his lecture to her class as the students gathered around an enormous cherry tree, she was sure that he didn't notice her brief absence.

"Chihiro! There you are! Mr. Takada will be angry if he notices you keep skipping out!" whispered her friend, Sachiko.

"I've been away from the group at least five times today and I don't think he's noticed even once," said Chihiro quietly.

"Honestly, Chihiro, I expect a little more responsibility from you. After all, we're juniors now!" said Sachiko.

"Sachi, we've only just reached the eleventh grade. The school year hasn't even started yet…"

The two friends went to finish the end of the line as their classmates were leaving the glen.

"I hope we're staying at another great inn tonight. You know last night's dinner was so yummy. There were so many fish to choose from!"

"You must be the only Japanese person who's never had fish before," remarked Chihiro sarcastically. "Besides, I think that was because we were in a big city last night. Nagoya's huge. But now we're in the outskirts of Mitake. The selection probably won't be as nice here," smiled Chihiro. Her friend then looked at her thoughtfully.

"Awww…" grumbled Sachiko. "You're probably right."

"It's not that far but it does seem a ways from home, doesn't it?" asked Chihiro, looking at the grassy landscape. "It's so beautiful. There's something calmly beautiful about it."

"This? This is just grass and weeds, Chihiro," mused her friend. "But it does feel like we're a long way from Ueno."

"Girls? Girls! Please, this way! Keep up!" The voice came from Ms. Matsui, the teacher's assistant, who was waving them to quickly come in her direction. The girls followed the rest of the group to the town's Shinto temple.

When they reached the temple, an old building filled with smells of incense to varying degrees pungency, Sachiko swat away the smoky smells coming towards her. The thick smell of smoke permeated the air from the inner sanctum. Chihiro watched a Shinto priest eye them almost scornfully, and then continued to sweep the stone steps to the front door. Chihiro lingered outside as she noticed particular stone carvings that were somehow familiar to her. She grazed her fingers gently over the white stone carving of a dragon. What struck her as odd was the color of its scales. The scales were opalescent and flat, smooth to the touch and they seemed somehow glued on rather than carved out of stone. Looking closer at the effigy, she noticed its eyes were set in green, pieced from some jadeite. She snuck out her digital camera phone to take a few close up pictures for her class report. Chihiro looked over to where the Shinto priest was. He was still sweeping the floor, looking down at his work. When no one was looking, she took a nail file from her pocket and chipped off a small piece of dragon scale.

"What are you doing?" whispered Sachiko in a fearful voice, glancing around them to see if anyone saw her friend defacing public property.

"Just a sample," smiled Chihiro, putting the scale and the file back in her pocket with a smooth flick of her wrist.

"Has anyone ever told you that you make a good thief?" asked her friend.

"Sure."

"So do you steal things for fun?" joked Sachiko.

"Sometimes," smiled Chihiro.

"EEEHH?" exclaimed Sachiko, forgetting that they were inside a temple. The students and tour guide and teachers were all looking at her, questioningly.

"Ah, sorry!" exclaimed Chihiro. "I thought I saw a big centipede." The others grunted and mumbled but then continued to listen to the tour guide give his lecture.

"This temple," said the pock-marked face of the guide, "was once known to worship several prominent gods in the area. There was a sacred purifying spirit, who even today is said to live in the water well. Those who drink from the well will achieve health and long life. And there was also a spirit who lived in our giant banyan tree," said the guide, pointing outside towards the temple gardens. "But perhaps the oldest spirit was a river god, from the river that flows right past the north of Mitake. Some say that this god often took the form of a great and beautiful dragon, with pearly blue scales and gold horns. He had many offspring which flowed from him as well, but many of these smaller rivers were dammed up and filled in to provide for urban and housing development. His most famous son, _Kohaku_, or _Nihiyagami Kohaku Nushi_, was the one who appeased his angry father when humans harvested the sea without permission and destroyed his rivers by building damns. A period of flooding bombarded this area during the early Heian Period. But Kohaku was born kind, and appeased his father by creating a rainbow for his father's crown in exchange for his father's mercy towards humans. Then, with his anger set aside the river god quieted and the flood waters receded. Kohaku was then sent all over Japan to see to the seasonal rains, ever careful not to flood the people. Sometimes, his father still gets angry. But when we see the rainbow over the river, Kohaku has once again appeased his father on our behalf." Several of the older patrons nodded and sent out satisfied murmurs in the crowd.

Chihiro went outside to yawn and stretch. She didn't remember ever being here, but her mother did once tell her that the family had come to Gifu Prefecture for a summer holiday. That's when she had almost drowned in a river. Though she was now seventeen and could not remember that fated day, she had never really got a good explanation from her mom as to how she was ever rescued. It was too long ago for her to remember, but out of whimsical fancy she wondered if her luck had anything to do with the guardian spirit of the temple.

"Come now, let's go this way. Don't forget to stop by the temple gift shop on your way out!" shouted the tour guide. Sachiko slipped her arm around Chihiro's.

"Come on, let's go see the trinkets! I hope they sell love charms here. I've been hoping that Mamoru would look at me even once, but it still hasn't happened. I'm gonna turn my luck around, maybe if I pray to these gods?" Though she protested, Chihiro was dragged out to the gift shop beyond the garden.

"The spirits aren't going to help you with trifles like that. You need to look to more practical means for getting what you want," smirked Chihiro.

"That's odd coming from you, oh wise one who has yet to find a boyfriend herself," laughed Sachi.

"Those things aren't really important to me," said Chihiro, sticking out her tongue.

"Ogino, Nishida!" called out Ms. Matsui.

"Present!" said Sachiko and Chihiro simultaneously.

"You two are in room 386. Here is one key for each of you, and morning wake up call is 7 a.m., don't forget, girls."

"Yes ma'am," said Sachiko. The two carried their duffels up the stairs to the right.

"It's indecent that this place doesn't have bell hops or elevators."

"Sachi, it's only three stories high. Besides, you ate so much during the day, I'd think you'd be glad to walk it off now," smiled Chihiro. Sachiko grumbled at her friend. They reached the top floor and found their room.

"Great, right next to the vending machines!" smiled Sachiko.

"You're a bottomless pit, you know that?" smirked Chihiro.

The room was small, but comfortable looking. There was no TV but there was a clock radio, a small table with two chairs and two small beds. Sachiko chose the bed closest to the door, and plopped down her bags.

"I'm gonna shower, ok?"

"Sure," answered Chihiro. She waited until Sachiko went into the bathroom and shut the door before she opened the sliding glass door to the little balcony and looked outside into the night sky, speckled with stars. Below, she saw that the sloping landscape covered in small buildings and houses. It curved, twisted and rolled like it had been carved out by water, except there was no longer a river here.

"What a beautiful place." Chihiro pulled out her sketchbook from her bag and started sketching a complex, twisted shape. Her fingers were guiding her pencil effortlessly and soon there was a marvelous picture of a dragon. It had shimmering scales like a fish and a long mane and its body twisted and rolled like the landscape before her. Pulling out some colored pencils from her bag, she colored the dragon light pearly blue, and it had a long mane of blue-green hair. There was something familiar about this dragon. But, of course she was sure that she had never met a dragon before. She pulled out the piece of "dragon scale" she had pilfered from the temple.

Chihiro compared the color of her drawing with the color of the scale. Had she been here before? Perhaps her parents had taken her to this very temple? She sighed and stuffed the scale back in her pocket, and her pencils back into her satchel. Chihiro thought back to an earlier time in her life, when her family had just decided to start afresh because of her father's job and moved to Ueno. The move was basically uneventful and she was fast to make new friends like Sachi. There was this one place near her house where many stone shrines were placed alongside an old, unused road. People noted that it had been there for as long as any of the houses, perhaps even longer. Down that long narrow path was supposedly a gateway to some abandoned amusement park. Her parents said that they must have torn the rest of it down when the economy went belly up, but they left the gate there.

For whatever reason, though they had lived there some four years, Chihiro never ventured too far along the path, let alone enter through the worn-looking gateway rumored to have strange noises coming from the other side. There was something unsettling about that space. The neighbors said that it was the primary reason why the predecessors of Chihiro's house had moved. Too many strange whispers at night could be heard, causing a neighborhood rumor that it was the spirits coming out to play. Chihiro never heard any such things, nor did her parents.

"River god," she sighed. "I bet the seasonal rain storm job gets tiresome." She drummed her fingers lightly against the metal railing of the balcony. "What would I do in the off seasons if I were a river god?"

"I guess I'd go to a hot spring or a bath house like this one," said Sachi from behind. Chihiro turned to see her friend, drying her hair with a towel.

"Was I talking aloud?"

"Yep. As usual, you weird girl. But I'd love to go check out the hot springs here. They said it's good for your skin."

"Gods don't need to go to hot springs. I mean, do they even get dirty?" pondered Chihiro. She of course had never met one, so she really didn't have proof. "Besides, Sachi you just took a shower. Why would you want to go to a hot spring now? You'll get all pruny."

"Nah, come on, let's just go see." Chihiro and Sachi made their way down past the front desk and into a side door leading to the springs. They passed several of their friends who had already visited the area.

"We have ramen, in case you want any, Chihiro!" called out Mamoru.

"Thanks, I'll make a note of it in case I have a craving for MSG," smiled Chihiro.

"Why does he pay attention to you and not me?" sulked her friend as they walked out.

"Maybe it's because you never say anything to him? You should speak up, Sachi. He'll never notice you like this."

Sachi continued muttering to herself until they reached the women's bath. It was empty. Sachi slipped out of her shoes and ran up to touch the water and test it with her toe.

"It's perfect Chihiro! Let's have a soak, shall we?" Sachi started to undress and take one of the guest towels from the shelf.

"You're hopeless. Don't blame me if you get too pruny beyond recognition and Mamoru is completely scared away," laughed Chihiro. She looked around for another pair of slippers, but Sachi had taken the last ones. She didn't want to dirty the floor with her walking shoes and went to the other side of the bamboo fence in search of extras. She nearly collided into a young man whom she did not hear approaching the entrance to the towel area.

"Oh, excuse me!" said Chihiro, rather startled. She looked up at a pair of large, almond shaped eyes that were deeper than any shade of green she had ever seen.


	2. A Stranger and An Old Friend

Chapter 2: A Stranger and Old Friend

"I'm so sorry," said the young man, bowing. "Please forgive me, honored guest." Somehow that gesture combined with his formal speech as well as the antique-looking cos-play worker's tunic and pants made him seem like he didn't belong to the present day. There was something oddly familiar about him, although she was sure she'd remember a guy who had hair cut straight across his eyes and thick locks hanging just above his shoulders that looked as if someone had cut his hair with the assistance of a pail. _Odd hair cut_, thought Chihiro to herself, trying not to stare. _Kind of out of style, nowadays… But those eyes…What a beautiful color…Is he wearing contacts?_

"No, it's my fault for not looking where I was going," she said absently. "I was just searching for another pair of slippers." He pulled a pair out from behind him.

"I think these are your size," he smiled. She tried them on and they fit perfectly.

"Hey, you're right! You're good at guessing shoe sizes. Thanks again!" She made a polite bow and headed back to the bathing pool where Sachi was already basking in her private happiness.

She heard the gate close behind her.

"_You're very welcome, Chihiro-san_," said the young man softly from behind the bamboo fence. Sitting at the edge of the pool, staring into the cloudy mineral water, she paused to think for a moment. _How did he know my name_?

"What's wrong, Chihiro? asked Sachi, opening one eye to look at her friend.

"That guy knew my name, but I don't remember telling him."

"You and I are the only ones in here and the voices carry along the stone walls. He must have heard me call your name," reasoned Sachi. As Chihiro took a spare wash cloth and bucket to wash the day off of her in a corner stall, she pondered his familiar eyes and his soft black hair. She didn't go near enough to touch it but she was certain that it felt silky.

"The reasoning is quite logical, yet so foreign coming out of your mouth," smiled Chihiro as she finished scrubbing down. Her friend splashed her with water. Both of them giggled as Chihiro slipped out of her towel and into the calming green water for a relaxing herbal soak.

000

"My goodness, look at all the leaves!" said the innkeeper's wife as she swept the front steps of the hotel. Chihiro was trying to avoid getting leaves swept onto her new shoes when she overheard the woman say, "It's as if a dragon had burst through here last night." Chihiro stopped for a moment and recalled bits and pieces of a dream she had last night after she and Sachiko went to bed.

It was a most peculiar dream. In it she stood amid vast bodies of water; falls, streams, brooks, lakes, rivers and seas everywhere stretching out into the horizon. She was in a place that was shrouded by mist, a place that was both endless and timeless. Nearby, the trees swayed and shook their leaves and branches together, as if to keep time with some silent drum. In the dream, she felt as though she was being watched but there was no one around that she could see. The wind suddenly picked up, blowing her long hair out behind her. She saw it trail out longer and longer, as if it was growing before her eyes. Then she thought, _Kohaku, is that you?_ The wind died down just as quickly as it had come, and she felt very alone. _Don't go, Kohaku!_ Her voice echoed in her head.

When she woke up, she was sitting up in bed, and Sachiko was stirring. Chihiro had cried out in her sleep and felt rather embarrassed. _It was just a dream, nothing more_, she thought to herself. Still, there was something in her that didn't feel right. It felt something akin to a longing, but she had no idea what her heart was longing for.

"Hey Chihiro! You're holding up the line," said Sachiko, nudging her friend in the arm with an elbow. Chihiro realized that she had stopped in mid step when she overheard the inkeeper's wife talking to herself, and so put her other foot down, and continued moving her feet, the left one and then the right one, until she made it back onto the bus.

"What's wrong with you today, Chihiro?" asked her friend.

"Nothing, why do you ask?"

"Well, you're acting strangely. I don't think you slept very well. I didn't either because the wind was howling last night! Almost like a wolf or a dog. It was kinda scary. But today you're spacing out on me. What's up?"

"Nothing. I'm fine, just tired, I guess. Too much walking," she smiled weakly.

"You love walking, though," her friend replied.

Chihiro shrugged. "Everyone has their limits."

"No, it's not that." She turned to look Chihiro in the face and felt her friend's forehead with the palm of her hand. "It's like…like, you're distracted with something," said Sachiko. "Or maybe _someone_?" Chihiro swatted her friend's hand away as if swatting a bug.

"No I'm not! Don't be ridiculous…." She said, noticing that her voice was trailing off. "I just had a bad dream that's all." Chihiro put her headphones on and listened to her _L'arc en Ciel _CD play on her mp3.

"Well, the next temple we're going to see has a lot of charms. Ms. Matsui said so. I'm sure we'll be able to find something to ward the bad spirits away."

"Mm-hmm," responded Chihiro, but her thoughts were already drifting away from her friend's company.

The bus took the students a short way from the lodge and closer to the foothills of Mt. Ena-San. There, they another small village with cultural significance and a history that Chihiro missed completely as she was lost in her own thoughts. Ms. Matsui told them that today consisted of a nature hike up the mountain, and the rest of the day was going to be a play day before the bus took them back to their lodge. Mr. Takada was in charge of teaching on the nature hike, and Ms. Matsui fell behind in the back of the group to make sure no one got lost. Chihiro and Sachiko stayed near the back, as they both enjoyed taking pictures. Eventually, Ms. Matsui walked on ahead of them and warned them not to fall behind, and the two girls ended up bringing up the rear of the group as usual. The path they were walking followed a small stream, and Chihiro walked as close to the stream bank as she could get. Throughout the entire walk, she felt as though she was being watched. But whenever she turned around, there was nothing but trees and the sound of summer cicadas behind her.

Chihiro walked closer to the small stream, recalling the story of when she was little and nearly drowned. Her family had gone on a picnic when she was small to a place she did not really remember. But her pink shoe had fallen into the river as she was catching tadpoles. As she was reliving the memory, a butterfly caught her eye, hovering over the tall grass next to the stream. It reminded her of the place she had picnicked with her parents long, long ago. _Where had that been? I just remember waves of grass, so green and thick, as far as I could see…_

"Chihiro! Chihiro, come on! We're gonna be left behind," said Sachiko as she pulled her friend's arm up the trail. "I need to keep up the pace or else I'll get really tired going slow. The teachers will kill me if I lost you. C'mon!" Chihiro let her friend pull her away from the river bank.

"All right, all right. I'm coming," she replied. "You're just in a hurry because you want to be first in line for those charms."

"Of course.. I've wanted Mamoru to notice me since we were in seventh grade. This is my chance—the charms here are supposed to be really accurate," said Sachi.

"You know, love doesn't really work that way. You can't force or take away love with magic," laughed Chihiro. "Especially not with cheesy charms."

"You'll see. I'll get him to notice me," smiled Sachiko. "I'll buy you a charm too, so that someone will notice you."

"Please don't," grimaced Chihiro.

The group finally made it back to the lodge after dark, and the rest of the evening, the students spent their time at the local village festival, a seasonal tradition bringing the close of summer. Most of the festivities took place around the local shrine and its offerings for the night during the festival was selling charms. Some students decided to visit the karaoke lounge on the other side of town. Mamoru wanted Chihiro to join him and his friends paddle boating in the lake. The waters were enchanting and lit up with glowing festival lanterns, but Chihiro declined and insisted that they take Sachiko instead. For this, Sachiko gave her a very grateful look.

Chihiro left the group to be alone with her thoughts. The shrine was near enough to walk to and so she decided to go back to visit it on foot along the lamplit dirt path. When she reached the praying altar, Chihiro tossed a few coins into the brass tray, rang the bell, and put her hands together in prayer.

_I don't know what to wish for right now. So I'll just clap my hands like this and go through the motions so that people can watch and wonder what it is I'm thinking... _Curiously, evern since she was little, Chihiro had never been in the habit of making wishes. Whenever she tried to conjure up a wish, she would end up feeling rather empty, as if she had no desires whatsoever.

An old woman came out from behind the shrine and came right up to Chihiro. She nodded at Chihiro in greeting and smiled. Chihiro bowed politely.

"You are fortunate to have found our temple. This altar is said to grant many wishes of the deserving," said the old crone. "Behind the altar it is said that there is a solid gold dragon statue. Inside that sculpture is said to be one of the talons of the river god himself. Many villagers come here to pray and many wishes are granted." The old crone clasped her hands as if in prayer. "It is because of this relic that many tourists come to our village. It has blessed us for many years now. You should pray to it."

"Well, I'm not sure if I am deserving, but I don't think I should wish for anything because I'm not really a believer," smiled Chihiro.

The old crone smiled back at her. "You have a certain glow about you, child. As if you were blessed by the spirits themselves, or protected by their spell. Your wishes may yet come true. Take heart." When the woman finished praying, she added to Chihiro as she was leaving, "Don't forget to shake the prayer sticks, dear. They are also very accurate."

"Thank you," said Chihiro. "I'll do that." But when she reached for the prayer stick container, some of her other classmates were approaching. Feeling a bit silly, and to avoid their inquiries as to what she was praying for, Chihiro snuck away behind a painted screen just out of sight of the others. When she had found a quiet place behind the main room, she started shaking the joss sticks for a fortune. One stick teetered out to the edge.

"Why the secrecy?" asked a voice from behind her. The voice had startled her so unexpectedly, she nearly jumped. The sticks flew out of their holder all at once scattering everywhere.

"Shoot," said Chihiro looking at all the prayer sticks lying on the floor. She only needed _one_. But, prayer sticks weren't an exact science, either, Chihiro admitted to herself. She turned around and saw the young man from the onsen the previous night.

"You?" she asked questioningly. A cool breeze blew through her untied hair obscuring her vision as the young man from last night approached. She pushed her locks back to see he was wearing more casual attire now, a wrinkled button up white shirt hung lazily over fashionable, loose fitting khaki pants folded up at the hems and dirty tennis shoes casually slipped onto his feet. His hair, however, was still as outdated as it was before, but at least it was tied back. He moved very close and looked into her eyes with a look that puzzled her, but she did not step away or avert her gaze. The young man seemed wise beyond his years though he looked to be about her age.

"Let me help. It's my fault for startling you. I didn't mean to. Which really begs the first question. Why the secrecy?" he asked, stooping down to pick up all the sticks in his hands. She started to help as well.

"Well, I just didn't want them to see me. I have a reputation of not really believing in these things. Or at least doubting their usefulness. If my classmates saw me do this, they'd laugh at the irony," smiled Chihiro.

"By the way, aren't you supposed to be working or something back at the hotel?"

"This is my day off. I have relatives here. This is my father's village."

"Oh, you mean he's the village elder?"

"You could say that. He's more like a _patron_, of sorts." He looked at the stick holder in her hand. "Did you intend to read that? It's the only one that didn't fall out. It must be your fortune." Chihiro looked down and saw the one stick that was remaining, the same one she had shaken loose from the rest, hanging on precariously to the stick holder. She pulled it out, and then walked over to the shelves where they keep the paper fortunes. Selecting the correct shelf and column, she pulled out a thin rice paper fortune.

"It says here that I am having the best luck in my life this very moment," smiled Chihiro.

"May I see it?" he asked. She handed it over to him. "It says that you are protected by the gods. You will encounter a stranger who is an old friend and good fortune will follow."

"How can I meet someone who is both a stranger and an old friend?" laughed Chihiro. "I knew these fortunes were loopy."

"Chihiro-san, when did you become so jaded?" asked the young man with a wry smile.

"You speak as though you knew me from a time when I wasn't. How can you be so familiar with me and I don't even know your name?" asked Chihiro.

"Forgive me. My name is Haku," he responded. For a moment, she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes.

"Haku," said Chihiro. The name lingered on her lips and summoned strange and familiar feelings inside of her. But no memories surfaced in her mind.

"Have you and I…met before?" she asked, hesitantly. He paused to look at her for a moment, searching her eyes.

"No," he finally answered. "Why?"

"It's just that there's something familiar about you. But I can't quite put my finger on it," said Chihiro, haltingly. He smiled, bowed, and started walking away.

"What? You're leaving?" He made no response and just left her to her own thoughts. "Was it something I said?" she called out after him. For some reason, she really wanted to talk to him more, but he had already disappeared behind the corner. She fought the urge to follow him.

"Hmph, wierdo," she frowned.


	3. Surprises in the Dark

Chapter 3: Surprises in the Dark

When the students finally returned to the hotel later that night, after they had managed to make a meal from the little festival food stands and local street cart delicacies around town, Chihiro still felt restless. She told Sachiko that she was going out for a walk outside the lodge's premises. Sachiko advised her not to go alone in the dark and offered to accompany her, but Chihiro assured her friend that she would not go far. Since it was almost bed check time, Chihiro convinced Sachi to stuff pillows under the sheets so Ms. Matsui would think Chihiro was already asleep.

With that, Chihiro left for the shrine once again. For some reason she couldn't get enough of it. She felt strangely drawn to that place…and drawn to Haku. She wanted to see him there again. Something had awakened the restlessness within her.

The night was unusually cool for summertime, with stronger winds than yesterday. No one was about. The festival patrons were long gone and the lanterns had gone dark. The shrine was empty, but Chihiro lingered between the darkness and lamplight. She tossed some money into the brass platter before the altar, and gently rattled the bell. She pulled out the fortune she stuffed into her pocket after Haku had read it to her and squinted at the writing.

_Hopes will be fulfilled,_

_A stranger who is an old friend approaches_

_And blessed amongst mortals you'll be_

_When the moon is full_

_Receive your fortunate destiny._

"What silly nonsense. There's not even a full moon tonight. The priest must've been drunk when he wrote this," frowned Chihiro. "I wonder if the other drawers say the same thing?" She was reaching for another drawer when she heard footsteps and harsh voices coming her way. Instinctively, fear clutched at her heart. Looking around for someplace to hide, Chihiro resolved to hide under the tablecloth of the wooden altar.

"The old crone said that there was a gold statuette behind the altar," said a rough voice with a strange accent Chihiro could not place. There was a slightly gutteral sound to his voice that made her skin crawl.

"Here's the altar," said another voice. Judging by the sound of their footsteps there were at least three men approaching. Chihiro held her breath.

"It must be behind here," said another. She heard them tamper with the wall behind the altar. "Got it!"

Chihiro heard something metallic being dragged out of a wooden slab. "This statue will sell for a pretty penny," snickered one of them.

"Dummy, it's what's inside that's important!" scowled the one with the accent. "We have what we came for. The Master will be very pleased."

_They're going to steal the statue from a shrine? How low can you go?_ she thought to herself.

She paused to think of ways she could get help. As their footsteps faded away, Chihiro quietly climbed out from under the table and ran back towards the hotel. She couldn't tell her teachers since she was supposed to be in bed and it was way past curfew. There wasn't a local police officer in sight. Was the front desk still open? Who could she tell? Was Haku working here tonight? These thoughts raced through her mind as she approached the hotel.

"Haku please be here," said Chihiro as she ran as fast as she could into the side entrance near the onsen. There, she found Haku folding guest towels for the shelves.

"Haku!" she cried out when she saw him. For some reason, she was very relieved that he was on duty at this late hour, though she wasn't exactly sure what he could do to help. Haku spun around and looked very surprised and concerned for her.

"Chihiro-san. What's happened? What's wrong?" he asked, dropping the towels and catching her as she nearly ran into him. She looked at him desperately, gasping for air and trying to speak at the same time.

"These guys….took the…. At the shrine….the gold statue of the river god…..it's gone!" She blurted out the last words and leaned over resting her hands on her knees to better catch her breath.

"They stole the statuette?" he asked incredulously. "From a temple? Who would do that?" he asked.

"Exactly, right? I don't know who, but they're getting away. Is there something inside the statue? They seemed to think there was something valuable there."

He pursed his lips for a moment. "Legend has it that there were seven demons who were vanquished by the river god. He placed the remains of these demons in separate statuettes of himself and sent them out over the land. Even in death, the demon remains still held great power. So he sealed them in the statues so they would do no harm. In time, whichever village or town kept the statuette would have good fortune and be blessed by the river god for as long as they protected the statue. Should the statue be removed, ill fortune will befall the village, therefore the statues are usually hidden. The relics inside the statues also have the power to undo the river god's spells, or unbind the sleeping demons. I suppose that whomever collects more than one statue can use that power for more difficult spells."

"What an archaic legend," said Chihiro, finally catching her breath. "It sounds like something out of a really bad manga."

"It's true," said Haku. His look was so earnest that for a moment, Chihiro almost believed him.

"It can't be-" she started.

"What if it were true? Just think of the possibilities and potential for evil if those relics fell into the wrong hands," he said. Chihiro fell silent.

"There's no time to waste." Haku took off his work apron and headed towards the temple.

"Haku, wait!" she called out after him. His legs were very fast and as if carried by a rush of wind, he was already far ahead of her in a matter of moments. Haku paused to look back at her, offering his hand. Chihiro hurried to catch up with him, and took his hand without hesitation. In an instant they were off.

They ran fast towards the temple, and the world around them whizzed by. Chihiro never knew she could run so fast, but somehow, with her hand in his, it was possible.

_We _have_ met before_, thought Chihiro to herself. A whir of emotions passed through her. In her mind's eye she was not seventeen but ten, and she was running behind a younger version of Haku down a walkway in between animal stalls and chilled meats. A giant bathhouse loomed in the distance and they were approaching a bridge high above a deep mist and another reality. There were train tracks below, for a train that only went one way for six stops… Was this a forgotten dream?

Chihiro snapped back into the present as she and Haku came to the temple. He released her hand, and suddenly, the image in her mind faded and she was once again aware of her surroundings.

_What was that? A memory? A dream?_ asked Chihiro to herself. Haku was inspecting the location of the missing statue, holding an open palm up to the wall but not touching it. Chihiro thought that his hand started to glow blue, but she rubbed her eyes and the light was gone.

"It's gone," he said with stern eyes. He looked up and stared into the dark forest behind the temple. Haku took one of the ceremonial spears hanging on the wall in his hand. "This way," he said, holding out his other hand to her.

_Who IS this person? _she thought to a second, Chihiro was afraid to touch him, but her fear gave way to an inexplicable trust. Her hand found its way back to his on its own accord. Once more, they were dashing away, this time through the dark forest. There were no lights or paths, but Haku was surefooted, and it almost seemed that they weren't even touching the ground that was cluttered with sticks and leaves and gangly roots everywhere.

They came upon a clearing where three figures were muttering and whispering amongst themselves in the dark. Haku motioned for her to stay hidden behind a cluster of trees. Then, taking the spear in his hand, he ran towards the dark figures, plunging the spear head into the dirt ground, and using it as a pole vault to launch himself into the air. Chihiro watched in wonder and amazement at how nimble he was. The thieves barely had time to turn around when Haku jumped onto the leader, feet first, and knocked him to the ground. The statuette flew out of his hand and landed away from him with a dull "thud."

_This is my chance_, thought Chihiro, and she snuck her way around the clearing, towards the place where she thought the statue had fallen.

"What the-?" cried out the others, startled at Haku's sudden attack.

"This statuette belongs to the village. You cannot take it," said Haku adamantly, his eyes were glaring.

"Why you -" but before they finished their sentences, they were lunging after him. With kenpo-like moves, Haku kicked and punched his way through the other two. In a flash they were on the ground, gasping for air and nursing their injuries.

Chihiro saw that Haku was safe as he stood over the three huddled masses on the ground. _That guy did pretty well for himself, even if he is only a towel boy_. Still searching for the prize, she thought she saw a pale glint of metal under the moonlight.

"Found it," she whispered and reached out to retrieve the gold statue. But before she even touched it, she began having trouble breathing. Her vision blurred and a whirlwind of scenes raced in her mind. Her hand absently touched the stuatuette as her consciousness was overcome. She tried to gasp but the air in her lungs felt as though it was being siphoned from her. Slowly, the visions started making more sense as the whole of the scenes unrolled in her mind.

But these scenes were neither dreams nor hallucinations. Chihiro knew them to be her past memories, tucked away for some reason. There were scenes both bizarre and beautiful. There were spirits everywhere, even a radish spirit. There was a faceless and nameless spirit, Kaonashi, whom she befriended. There was Bo, who was a very big baby, but was turned into a large rat. The ugly face of Yubaba turned into the gentle face of her twin sister, Zeniba. There was also Yu-Bird, Yubaba's pet. So many memories came all at once; it was dizzying. Chihiro felt herself shudder and her face hit the soft ground.

She was only ten when it happened, lost and frightened but Haku was there to help her. He was a kind and gentle friend under a stony exterior expression, and he saved her from being turned to a pig or a lump of coal. Her ten year old heart admired and loved him, and she dared everything to help him in return when he was poisoned by Zeniba's curse.

It was all coming back to her now. Falling through the sky, she learned that Haku was the river god's son, and he revealed his true name to her: _Nihiyagami Kohaku Nushi._ The first time they met, he had saved her once from drowning in his river. She saved him from the curse and freed him from Yubaba's control by helping him remember his name.

Chihiro felt as though her heart would burst at any moment and her other hand clutched at the grass underneath her, nearly pulling them out from their roots. Her blood was racing and Chihiro's mind reeled. Her body felt numb. Suddenly, as if to finally break the spell, a flood of tears fell effortlessly from her eyes, and she regained control of her body, staring at the statuette under her hand.

"Chihiro-san?" asked Haku quietly, approaching her. He was concerned at the way she had just collapsed to the ground. She blinked up at him with tears streaming down her face. He helped her up.

"_Kohaku_!" she cried out. He stared at her for a moment as if puzzled. Then his features relaxed into a silent understanding. Chihiro found the strength in her again and pulled him towards her. Kohaku stood motionless and a little surprised as she hugged him tightly and cried into his shirt. She felt like she had been robbed and didn't know it; but the precious thing that was taken was now restored and she was grateful and happy.

"Kohaku!" she called out again. His name was like a spell that conjured up varying degrees of bliss in her heart. "I thought I'd never see you again! I've missed you so much!" she sobbed and laughed at the same time. She held her childhood friend close. He was very warm.

"Chihiro," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I was afraid you were never going to remember me."

Chihiro shook her head violently. "I would never forget you on purpose. Somehow, my memories were missing for all these years, but when I first saw you here, I knew there was something about you that was familiar. I knew you were someone I could trust."

"So we meet again," he smiled.

"Just like you promised on the day we parted," said Chihiro, beaming back.

"The statuette's power must have released you from my father's spell," he said.

"Your father? What spell?" asked Chihiro curiously.

"My father cast a spell on you, to protect you from Yubaba's wrath, if she dared to find you again. You became invisible to spirits, and you were never again approached by one. He also hid your memories from you, so…"

"So…what?" asked Chihiro inquisitively.

"So you wouldn't come looking for me," he responded. "And I wouldn't go looking for you."

"Why would he do that?"

"He thought it was for your own good. And for mine," he said quietly.

"That was rather…why would he do such a thing?" She pursed her lips thoutfully. "Did you ever come looking for me?" asked Chihiro. Kohaku only smiled his usual, gentle smile, but there was a hint of a secret within that expression.

"Humans and spirits aren't supposed to mingle. These are the rules," he said. He gave her a grin and took a step back from her.

"Does this mean he'll be angry when he finds out? Do I have to forget you all over again?" she asked, hesitantly.

"No," he said. "What is done is done. Besides, my father is not here to comment on this subject nor interfere. He has been missing for quite some time."

"Missing?" gasped Chihiro. "What do you mean, missing? How does a god go missing? Did something happen to him?"

"I don't know," he sighed. "My brothers and I have been searching for him for months now. No one has seen a trace of him."

"Kohaku," she began. But then, a gust of wind blew through the clearing and clouds began to gather above them. Chihiro was startled by the flash of lighting that tore a bright gash into the night sky.

"A storm," she said fearfully. She picked up the statuette and hid it under her jacket.

"It isn't safe here," said Kohaku. He took her hand and led her away from the clearing. Chihiro looked around for the three who had attempted to take the statuette but they were gone.

"Kohaku, where did they go?" she asked.

"They were demons. They must have retreated to the shadows."

"_Demons?_!" Chihiro grew very alarmed and tightened her grip on his arm.

"Quickly, Chihiro, more will be coming for the statue," he called out over the wind. Kohaku suddenly transformed into his true form, a long slender dragon with pearly blue-white scales and a long mane and tail of dark, shimmering aquamarine. He lowered himself so she could get on his back.

"Kohaku, is this okay?" she asked. "I'm not as light as I was when I was ten!" She grabbed onto his horns and in a flash they were airborne, and Chihiro gave out a little yelp as they soared high above the sky, beyond the lamplight and closer towards the clouds. The statuette remained zipped up in her jacket, and with her hands she tightly clung on for dear life.

"If I didn't know better, I would have thought this was a dream," she said nervously, eyeing the dark lanscape below. _Just because I can't see it doesn't mean it's not high up…_ She thought she saw Kohaku smile, as if he could hear her thoughts. Chihiro leaned down and laid her head upon his soft mane. His scales were smooth and cool, pearly just like the stone effigies in the temple below. He was a god, after all, worshipped by the locals. How strange she found it to be riding on the real thing, when everyone else only saw the stone likings. She leaned down and rested her ear against his long neck. She could hear his heart beat and it calmed her and made her feel very warm. Chihiro felt a flush in her cheeks that stayed with her for the entire ride.


	4. Of Gods and Mortals

Chapter 4: Of Gods and Mortals

Haku and Chihiro arrived at the back garden of the hotel sometime after midnight. Chihiro slipped off his back and he began transforming into his human form once more. Before her eyes, the elegant slender white dragon became a tall, lean, young man with lustrous and thick dark hair. He was dressed in his street clothes again and if she didn't know better, she would have mistaken him for a mortal.

"What will you do now, Kohaku?" asked Chihiro, handing the statuette back to him. He wrapped it in a cloth and tucked it underneath his arm.

"I must collect the rest of my father's stauettes, and retrieve the relics within in order to protect them. I will hide them again. I cannot let them fall into the wrong hands," he said, with a determined and serious look in his beautiful eyes. "Thank you, Chihiro, for alerting me to the situation." Chihiro knew that Kohaku was a spirit to be feared, and yet she found herself drawn into those eyes, the glistening pools of his sprit, pulling her in like the tide. She forced herself to look away.

"Y-You're welcome. I wish there was something more I could do to help you," she sighed. _Just ask me to do anything, and I will,_ Chihiro thought as she forced her gaze back towards him.

"No, Chihiro. This isn't your battle. I know now that something evil is coming, and it's likely connected to my father's disappearance. It would be dangerous for you to get involved," he said. "But I appreciate your concern." She glanced up at him, somewhat disappointed at the response. In the moonlight, Chihiro thought that his serious expression broke into a smile, momentarily.

"I have to go now," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. As he turned to go, Chihiro caught his sleeve. Kohaku looked back at her in question. For a brief pause, she could not find her voice. She didn't even know what it was she wanted to say before he left. What she most wanted to know at that very moment was whether or not she would see him again. Her only desire was for him to promise they would. But there was no words on her tongue that could make him stay. And she knew he would not make that promise this time. She harbored the unbearable thought that this would be the last time they would meet.

"K-Kohaku," she stammered. "Good luck." It was all she could manage to say.

"Thank you, Chihiro-san." Then, leaving her still speechless, he transformed into a dragon again and took flight, disappearing into the velvety dark night sky.

000

Chihiro awoke to the fresh morning sun, shining through the windows of her hotel room. She glanced behind her and saw Sachiko's curled up form in the bed next to hers. Staring at the ceiling doused by the morning light, Chihiro recalled the events of the prior night. Something in her heart ached at the thought of not seeing him again. It was rather cruel to make her forget him, and then suddenly have her remember, only to have them part once again. She wanted to see Kohaku again. She wanted to see him tomorrow, and the day after and all the days after that.

Light tears rolled down the sides of her face and she couldn't stop them. Her feelings confused her, and yet somehow made her feel more real and alive than she could ever recall.

"What's wrong with me?" whispered Chihiro to the quiet room.

That day, as the class tour was about to end, Chihiro and Sachiko packed up and joined the other students at the station. As they all waited for the train to take them back home to Ueno, Chihiro stared blankly into the blue sky, listening to the music from her earphones drowning out the world. It was a soulful tune; _Moonlight Sonata,_ by Beethoven. The melody ran through her mind and wove its spell over her restless thoughts. As she was sitting on the bench, still concentrating on the shape of Kohaku's face, Sachi suddenly plopped down beside her.

"Here!" she smiled, handing Chihiro an unopened bottle of ramune soft drink. Chihiro snapped back from the recesses of her mind and looked at her friend.

"Thanks, Sachi-chan," smiled Chihiro.

"Chihiro, you're looking a bit lost today. But I know that expression. You're in _love_!" snickered Sachi.

"I am not, Sachi! I'm just sad to be going back home."

"No, I'd know that dazed look with my eyes closed. Heaven knows I've had that look on my face whenever I think of Mamoru. You can't fool me, Chihiro-chan."

"This drink is really good, Sachi, thanks," smiled Chihiro, taking another sip from the glass bottle.

"You're rotten, Chihiro. No changing the subject!"

But just then, their train sounded its horn as it slowly made its approach to the platform. The students then shuffled for their baggage as the teachers tried to line them up in an orderly fashion for boarding. Soon, she and Sachi were aboard, sitting at a four person booth by themselves. As the train began to leave the station, Chihiro stared blankly at her reflection on the glass against the natural scenery outside. It reminded her of the time she took the train with Kaonashi, Yu-Bird and Bo to Swamp Bottom. That was the first time she had ever been on a train. She remembered how determined she was to save Haku and return the seal to Zeniba.

Kohaku told her last night that there was nothing she could do to help him this time. But still, Chihiro was eager to get home now, to walk the dirt path behind her house into the forest. She wanted to return to the spirit world and seek out Zeniba who was very old and wise. Surely she would be able to tell Chihiro if there was a way to help Kohaku. Chihiro was determined to try. It wasn't the end of summer yet, so there was still time for something to happen...

But it didn't.

Chihiro woke to the sound of the clock radio on the table by her head, beeping loudly at her. She swat at the machine, trying to push the right button, and successfully turned it off after five tries. Burying her face into the pillow as she lay on her stomach, she dragged herself back into consciousness and pondered what had transpired over the past few weeks. She thwarted the plans of demons to steal a sacred relic. Kohaku had come back into her life and her memory was restored. Then, he left as quickly as he had come again…

Somehow, that entire chain of events led to one incredible conclusion: she needed to return to the spirit world and help him.

But her class returned home without incident, and she didn't dare breathe a word of this to anyone. No one would understand or believe her. Though she was worried about him, she soon realized that she could do nothing to help him. Kohaku had proven himself a knowledgeable and resourceful spirit and most likely didn't need her.

For now, it was finally the first day of her junior year, and she couldn't afford to be late for class this morning, of all mornings. There was an archery club meeting this afternoon. She had to turn in her summer homework. Her mom wanted her to enroll in cram class on the weekends to prep for entrance exams. The student body had to gather for opening ceremonies during homeroom period. So many ordinary things to keep her busy....

But she didn't want ordinary.

She got up and changed into her light gray school uniform, consisting of a pleated gray skirt, white shirt, gray vest and jacket. Checking her reflection in the mirror after she tied her black and orange striped tie, neatly done in a Windsor knot, she raced downstairs past the kitchen table for a piece of toast (which she shoved in her mouth) and raced out the door with barely a "goodbye" to her parents.

Down in the subway station, crowds of people were lining up in the morning to catch their train. Sachiko and Chihiro were, as always, at the end of the line.

"Chihiro-chan, what's the matter?" asked her friend. "You look more flustered than usual."

"Huh?" Chihiro touched her face and found that it was warmer than usual. "Oh, I dunno, it must be this weather."

"Oh. You know, I had such a great time last night with Erika and Sano. We played cards until midnight. Where were you? I tried to call you so that you could enjoy your last day of summer vacation before today."

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't as if my whole summer was entirely uneventful," smiled Chihiro, knowing that Sachi-chan did not see the secret behind her grin.

"Well, we're off to school again," said Sachi, stepping onto the train that took them to school. "Just more tests and more after school meetings as usual. Are you still in the archery club?"

"Yeah, I can't bring myself to quit even though I know I don't really have time for it. I can't believe there will be newbies calling me _senpai._ Sometimes I still feel like a freshman," she smiled.

'At least you have something you enjoy doing. I was drafted into the yearbook committee and it's really boring there. I can't wait until next summer, when I'll spend my life watching _Hana Yori Dango_ all over again and eating spicy dried cuttlefish strips," sighed Sachi. "I'm definitely not looking forward to catching up with our college entrance examinations though. Maybe I'll enroll in a vocational school instead. And there's that paper that we have to write about what we learned! Ugh," moaned her friend. "What is there to write about? I saw a bunch of old temples and statues? I can't even remember them all, now."

"You spent most of your time eating, so I can't believe you'd be able to describe one place in detail. Since you were eating so much, you might was well make it a traveler's food review," laughed Chihiro.

She turned to see her own relfection in the windows of a nearby metro train. _I want to go back and see him,_ she thought to herself.

As they rode the No. 9 commuter train to school, the scenery was getting monotonous as the buildings and people whirred by, so she closed her eyes and thought of Kohaku. She felt her cheeks get a bit hot as she tried to bring his face up in her mind. He was ever so calm, and showed very little emotion. The only look she could discern was his honesty. That night before he left her, he had wanted to tell her something, but held back. Kohaku was always so collected and reserved. Were gods ever passionate about anything?

It seemed like a distant dream when she recalled how they had become acquainted. It had seemed so long ago, when Chihiro was called "Sen" in a strange bath house owned by a witch; where she had helped him remember his name and identity, and with that, his memory and freedom. Without her, he could have stayed a slave to Yubaba forever. There was definitely admiration and gratitude in his eyes. He was always so kind and gentle with her. But dragons are kind to everyone, she had heard. When she saw him again this time, there was kindness in his countenance and something else she did not recognize.

What was that look he had given her at the _onsen_?

As she was trying to decipher the meaning in his eyes, the train made its first stop at the local temple. Just then, a thuggish looking man got up from his chair and made his way to the door. His shoulder rudely knocked Chihiro and her friend aside. Sachiko began to protest, when he glared at the two of them. His eyes were dark, with golden slits like those of a snake. Sachi gasped and didn't utter another word. Chihiro watched as he exited the train towards the Ueno Shinto temple.

Chihiro paused briefly just as the train's speakers were telling its passengers to stay away from the doors as they were closing.

"Go on without me, Sachi," said Chihiro quickly as she made her exit just before the double doors closed. Her friend ran up to the window and pounded hard on the glass with a fist. Her lips mouthed Chihiro's name and Chihiro watched in silence as the train left the station. She looked around for the man with the demon eyes and saw his hunched figure make its way up the flight of stairs to the first level of the temple grounds. Taking a deep breath, Chihiro silently followed suit.

* * *

Note: _Hana Yori Dango_ is an immensely popular Japanese drama that was initially produced as "Meteor Garden" in Taiwan (consisting of three separate series: Meteor Garden, Meteor Garden II, and Meteor Rain) which preceded the Japanese version and has its own boy band from its popularity! The Japanese version aired the ninth and last episode on 12/2005; and I think might still be banned by mainland Chinese censors for it's "politcal" message. It's based on a manga by Yoko Kamio of a "commoner" girl who enters an elite school of snobs and wreaks havoc on their classist system, and the richest, most obnoxious boy there falls in love with her. It is published by Vis comics in the U.S. translated as "Boys Over Flowers" for a total of 37 volumes, and is also an anime consisting of 51 episodes. There is a Korean drama of the same name.


	5. Daikon

I came up with this chapter after eating a pickled daikon radish sidedish for dinner. It reminded me how much I really liked the Radish Spirit in the movie. After putting this story down for a while, I decided to pick it up again. I've been super busy lately, so haven't really had enough mind space for fiction writing. Sorry! I really didn't know if there would be an audience to this story, but I'm glad there is. I love this movie. Doesn't matter how many times I see it.

So, here's another update for our spunky heroine Chihiro. -Kero. (2/27/06)

* * *

Chapter 5: Daikon

Chihiro made sure that she maintained a safe distance from her target as they traveled up the long stairway up to the top of the hill where Ueno's main shrine sat almost glowing in the morning light. She was a bit relieved that there were still some old people dressed in their bright cotton jumpsuits and sweats doing their morning exercises up and down the steps. At least she wasn't alone.

She had no idea what she was doing, but something drove her to follow the demon when it exited the train. Was it simple curiosity? No, that couldn't be it. It was potential suicide if she were to confront this snake-eyed mystery demon who was twice her size, both in height and weight, and most likely endowed with godly strength. No matter how many times she played it in her head, it didn't end well for her…

Everything about her target was sinister. The dark clothing was an eerie contrast against the white stone steps. It gave out a dangerous aura and even other people avoided it, either consciously or subconsciously as it approached. Something was definitely afoot.

But, her actions went beyond mere curiosity. Deep down, Chihiro knew she had to do this. She felt that somehow these actions would take her down a path that would somehow take her back to _him_. She was determined find her way back to Kohaku this time, no matter what.

She silently counted the number of red Shinto archways to thirteen when the figure stopped. Instinctively, Chihiro stepped aside and hid behind one of the red columns. She knew the demon was looking back towards her. Grateful for the nearby shrubbery, Chihiro peered out around the opposite side of the column, behind a few low branches. It was continuing upward. Again, Chihiro continued her silent pursuit.

When they finally reached the top, the figure blended in with the morning worshippers so that she almost lost sight of him. The darkly clad priests were going about blessing this tree and that, putting urns of incense at the front of each stone shrine. Briefly, Chihiro wondered who these little shrine-houses belonged to. But she didn't have time to reminisce about the past as she caught sight of the demon slipping into the temple. Armed only with her courage, Chihiro ducked and swerved past the priests, the patrons, a few baby carriages and chatty grandmothers and found herself inside the old wooden temple.

The inside of the temple was sparsely decorated and smelled heavily of incense and burnt paper and mold. The glare from the outside made her pause, as she waited for her eyes to adjust. There was an altar leaning against the back wall of the room, and beside it was the one she had followed out of the train. The demon had somehow opened a side panel in the altar and was reaching inside when he noticed her, and glared.

"What are you doing here?" it asked in a dark voice that didn't sound human at all. Chihiro's blood froze. Though often praised for her quick thinking and witty remarks, Chihiro was at a loss for words this time. She lamely gaped at the menacing figure before her, wondering what the heck she was supposed to do next.

"I recognize you…" he said haltingly. "You're from the train. You followed me all the way here? Are you an emissary of the dragon lords?" it demanded. Finally, Chihiro found her voice.

"I cannot let you do…whatever it is you're doing. Leave this shrine at once, or face just retribution," she said in her bravest tone. _Just retribution?_ thought Chihiro to herself as she groaned inwardly. _Good grief, I'm starting to speak like Kohaku..._

The figure laughed out loud. It stretched taller and stared her down. "You are but a child. If the dragon lords are relying on puny peons like you, then they really will lose this war," he sneered. The demon's shape grew larger as a dark aura shimmered. Its fingers grew into razor sharp claws and in an instant, he sprang on her. Chihiro moved out of the way, but was not quick enough to avoid being slashed in her arm. She gave out a little cry as her feet gave out from under her and her momentum caused her to trip and slam her back against the wall. The movement shook a little shrine that was carved into the wall with a wooden shelf for offerings. Two hard objects rolled off the shelf and hit her on the head.

_What the-?_ Chihiro looked up warily to see if anything else was raining down on her.

Nope, that was it.

She could feel the blood dripping from her arm as it formed a pool on the ground. _This was a stupid idea,_ thought Chihiro to herself. She pulled a small can of mace from her book bag and as her assailant charged her again, she sprayed it directly into its slitted eyes. The demon cried out and leapt back, rubbing his face on his sleeves over and over again. Its eyes were bloodshot now as he glared at her and panted angrily.

"You're gonna regret the day we met" it cursed. But before the demon could lunge at her again, a tall, round figure appeared behind it and clocked him over the head with what appeared to be a giant club. The demon fell to the ground in a huddled mass.

"Now, _that's _a cheesy line," said the tall figure. He stepped into the light and Chihiro gasped at what she saw. It was a tall…_daikon_ radish…with stubby arms and legs and two tusks of radish. It had squinty, but kind eyes as it looked at Chihiro. She looked back at the shrine on the wall. It had a round shape, like a radish, and on the floor were the two radishes, most likely offerings, that had hit her on the head.

"Just one thing to do with demons, Chihiro, and that's this," said the Radish spirit. He took a paper talisman from the altar and placed it on the demon's head. The demon's shape shimmered and then exploded into a million pieces of ash. The Radish spirit took a deep breath and blew it away off the floor, talisman and all, so that no one would notice that anything had happened here. He looked at Chihiro and smiled.

"You're hurt, Chihiro. Let go take care of it before it turns bad," he said gently. The strangest thing was, he was talking but his mouth wasn't moving! Well, he didn't have a mouth…just a tuft of _daikon_ radish roots as a kind of wiggly mustache. It was coming back to her now. This was not the first time he had helped her out. They had met before in an elevator at the bathhouse owned by the greedy witch Yubaba.

"Radish-san?" she asked disbelievingly. He was wearing a beige trench coat and dark slacks. He was the best dressed radish she had ever seen.

"The one and only," he grinned, which made his radish tusks spread apart on his face.

"You live here?" she asked, again in disbelief. "In Ueno?"

"Where else would I live but the capital of pickled _daikon_ dishes?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

"All this time, I never knew and I've lived here for a good portion of my life. How is it that I can see you?"

"Did you touch a holy relic?" asked the Radish spirit. Chihiro thought back to that summer night with Haku in the forest. The relic she touched had dispersed the spell his father had cast on her. For a brief moment, her mind cleared a space to wonder how Kohaku was doing and how many relics he had found thus far.

"Holy relics have interesting and varying effects on humans. Ordinarily, you wouldn't be able to see me in your world. And, had you been anyone else and that guy had not been a demon, I wouldn't have personally interfered. But seeing that it was you, and since we go _way_ back, I thought I'd lend a hand. Figuratively speaking, of course." He gave another wide grin and lifted one of his giant radish arms to show her that he didn't really have hands. Chihiro, despite the pain shooting up her arm, had to laugh at the idea of her enemy being clubbed by a giant radish.

"I'm dreaming," she smiled. "How is it that I can hear you talking but you don't even have a mouth?" asked Chihiro.

"Silly child, such nonsensical questions," he chided gently. "By telepathy, of course."

"Oh, of course," sighed Chihiro a little sarcastically.

"Come, let's get take a look at your wound," he said, extending a long radish arm to Chihiro to take hold. He hauled her up by her good arm, and they headed towards a back exit to the temple.

"Before you leave, you may want to take that," said Radish. She looked and saw the relic lying on the ground. Not wanting to touch it, Chihiro pulled a handkerchief from her coat pocket and wrapped the dragon statuette in it and stuffed it in her book bag.

"The dragon lords will be looking for it. I think it would be nice if you gave it to them personally. Don't want that getting into the wrong hands, you know," he said cheerfully.

"Is there really a war going on?" asked Chihiro cautiously, wondering how much Radish would tell her of his world.

"You heard about that, huh?" he sighed as they went out of the clearing where a small well poked out from the grassy green courtyard. Chihiro half expected him to draw water from the well to help clean her wound, but he just went over to the water fountain on the side of the building and gathered the water in a large leaf. He sat next to her on the edge of the stone well and she propped up her arm so he could wash it off.

"You must be careful of wounds from demons, Chihiro. Their aura is dark and could easily cause illness and infection as if poisoned. The only way to heal it properly is with temple water." As he administered to the wound, Chihiro dared another question.

"What is the war about?"

"Well," he hesitated. "Since you lived among us for a time, I consider you as one of us. But dare not breathe this to the ears of outsiders." Chihiro nodded eagerly. "The demons are rising up against the dragon lords for their territories. The river dragons are among the last defense. The mountain dragons have already fallen."

"The earthquake in Tokyo a few weeks back?" Chihiro asked fearfully. Radish nodded sadly. "It was a hard fought battle. The heavens wept and the earth shook when it was over."

"Why are the demons rebelling against the spirits now, of all times?" asked Chihiro.

"Now is as good a time as any, I suppose. The power of Nature weakens as mankind grows stronger. The balance has tipped and the spirits are weaker now since we draw our powers from Nature. Then recently, one by one the stronger spirits have gone missing. I suspect the demons may have had a hand in that as well. Now, the river dragons are being assailed. I hear their relics, such as the one in your bag, are being collected one by one in order to subjugate, or even destroy the great river dragon."

"Kohaku's father?" she asked in astonishment. Radish nodded.

"Why would they do such a thing?" she demanded.

"There are some demons who enjoy the mischief. Once they are in control of the earth shakes, the flooding and tsunami's they will be able to create great fear. They feed on fear. I have a suspicion that their envy of spirit worship has driven them to want to be gods. Somehow what was once a disorganized lot is now organized. What's more shaming is that the spirits, not being as organized, are losing the war. Quite disgraceful that we are no longer able to keep demons in check."

He looked at her seriously now, through his squinty eyes. "That which you hold in your hands is perhaps the last relic of the Water Dragon King to be found. Half are in the hands of his sons, the other half have been stolen. Yours could be the one that tips the balance in favor of one or the other."

"I heard a demon once talking about its Master. I have no idea who that could be," sighed Chihiro. "But he sounds menacing. How will I get this to Haku for safe keeping? How can I help?" Chihiro was at a loss at what to do next. It wasn't bad enough that she skipped school on the first day of the term. She was holding on to the key to turning the heavens upside down. _What a perfect way to start the morning_, sighed Chihiro.

"Perhaps these questions can be answered by one who is wiser than I," smiled Radish. To her astonishment, he took a potato peeler out of nowhere and started peeling a long, thin strip of radish from one of his tusks. With this, he wrapped Chihiro's wound and tucked in the thin layered ends neatly like a professional nurse.

"Didn't know _daikon_ had healing properties as well, did you?" he smiled proudly.

"The spirits never cease to astonish and amaze me," smiled Chihiro. Radish got up and looked down the well.

"What's down there?" asked Chihiro with a little trepidation. The dark chasm looked like a giant mouth of sorts and stood out strangely in the grassy courtyard.

"That's another gateway to our world. Just like the one near your house."

"Don't tell me that I have to go down _there_," grumbled Chihiro.

"Well, you don't have to do anything, Chihiro-san. But I'm thinking that you _want_ to do this. After all, it appears that you are one favored by the gods. Our meeting today was not by chance," smiled Radish. "You should get that relic to the appropriate hands. I suspect the demons will be hunting you now and you will not be safe in this world for long either. You may hold the key to turning the battle in favor of the gods. You may be the catalyst that defeats the demons. Or not. Who knows?"

"What will I find down there?" Chihiro peered down into the abyss and wondered if this was going to be her last adventure.

"Your cavalry, I'd imagine."

"My _what_?" asked Chihiro. She didn't like the sound of that at all.


	6. The Cavalry

Chapter 6: The Cavalry

"Aren't you going with me?" asked Chihiro, distressed at the thought of jumping into the dark well alone. She was more afraid of _Sadako_ jumping out than _Kagome_. The radish spirit shook his head.

"I must protect my shrine. But still, these should help you," he said as he pulled out some paper talismans out of his pocket. "Just think about where you want it to go, pray that it gets there, and let it fly," he smiled.

"That's…encouraging…" said Chihiro sardonically, still crestfallen that her companion wasn't going any further than this.

"You should also carry this, as you are still inexperienced at fighting." The Radish pulled out a bamboo water canister on a leather strap. "For cleaning and healing wounds," he said cheerfully.

"Oh that's _really_ encouraging…" sighed Chihiro. She wondered if she was going to live through this next adventure of hers. The daikon spirit patted her gently on the head with the end of one of his thick radish arms.

"There are worse fates than death, child. But I daresay that shall not be your fate. And you never know if you'll be victorious until you try. May the gods smile upon you."

"Well then, let's hope the fortune was right and that's enough to get me where I'm going," she sighed. "Here goes everything," said Chihiro, taking a deep breath as she steadied herself on the edge of the well. Without another word, she jumped into the dark chasm, feet first.

She was waiting to feel the water or hear a splash, but it never came. She just kept on falling! The world above fast disappeared and she was engulfed in cool darkness as the air and stone whizzed by. A bit of panic surged up in her chest as she wondered what she had gotten herself into. But just as she really started to be afraid for her life, there came an opening at the end, a light in the distance. It grew larger as she quickly approached it, and Chihiro almost felt as if she were being resisted; her fall seemed more in control and slower now.

Chihiro finally fell into a tree, twigs and leaves scratching her skin as she was caught by a large, branch. The wind was knocked out of her and Chihiro thought she was about to pass out. Her blurry vision cleared and she was looking up at a canopy of leaves, and beyond that, a bright moon gazing back at her.

_Nighttime?_ asked Chihiro to herself. _Where am I?_ She looked around as her eyes adjusted from being in the temple courtyard on a bright sunny morning in August to a dark, damp smelling forest with thick undergrowth and the full moon hovering above. Wriggling her way out of the clutches of the branch, Chihiro swung down and hung from it, then dropped down to the next lower branch. She reached the ground and brushed the twigs out of her clothes and leaves. The forest was almost completely dark, but for the glow of the moon. It wasn't spooky, though. It felt strangely familiar. In the distance, Chihiro thought she heard the rattling of a train. The words came reminiscingly from her lips like a greeting from an old friend.

"Swamp Bottom," smiled Chihiro. She could make out a little path ahead of her, beyond the undergrowth. Making her way through to the path, she looked both ways. Neither of the directions seemed to be familiar. _Which way?_ she thought to herself. Just then, there was a faint squeaking in the forest. It was getting closer. A cricket? No, it was slightly metallic.

Then, she saw it. A little light heading her way in a slightly bouncing motion. When it finally came into view, Chihiro was very much relieved.

"Lamp! I thought it might be you," she said happily. The lamp bowed in greeting. Chihiro bowed in return. Lamp then turned on its one gloved hand that it also used as a foot to hop on, and hopped back in the direction which it came. No matter how dirty the ground the white glove was always immaculate. She wondered why it wasn't made with feet instead, like a coat rack. Chihiro followed behind it through the forest that was dark but not unfriendly. They came to a clearing where there was a bit of farmed land, haystacks that jutted out of the dark landscape like glowing mounds of pale color, and a large, thatched roof house sitting happily in the middle of the clearing. The stained glass windows were lit warmly from behind by a glowing fireplace. Chihiro felt as though she were Red Riding Hood, visiting her grandmother.

As they approached the picket fence, Lamp took its position at the top of the gateway arch as usual and the door to the house opened to let a ray of warm light reach out across the ground to Chihiro's feet. A familiar 'face' peered out at her.

"Kaonashi!" cried Chihiro in delight. She ran forward to greet her old friend with a giant hug. The dark, shadowy figure with the white mask opened its arms to meet her. She marveled at how it really was like hugging a shadow with some substance; a burnt colored, translucent marshmallow, but not. Chihiro stepped back and looked at him.

"It's been a while, my friend. You haven't changed one bit. I don't suppose time goes as fast here in the world of spirits than in the human world, does it? I suppose that's to be expected if everyone's immortal and all… But where is Granny Zeniba?" she asked.

Kaonashi, who never did learn to speak, gestured inside. Chihiro went inside and found a platter of sweets waiting for her. There was a note on the table that read:

_Chihiro,_

_Welcome back! I have just gone to the station to pick up some other guests. Please make yourself at home. There's a kettle on the stove, and tea so help yourself to the sweets I baked this morning._

_Granny Zeniba._

"Well, I _am_ a little hungry," sighed Chihiro. "It was a lot of work falling through that well. I mean, I was scared I wouldn't stop falling, and I was scared of hitting the bottom at that speed," she said. Kaonashi poured a cup of tea for her, gesturing at the sugar pot to inquire if she wanted one lump or two.

"One, please," replied Chihiro. Strangely enough, Chihiro never had a problem understanding her friend.

"I had no idea the well was so convenient. It was as if magic were breaking my fall. I wonder if Granny Zeniba had made it like that?" She shrugged and took a sip of hot tea. Chihiro looked over to the nearby work table and saw a pile of neatly folded scarves and sweaters with price tags attached to them.

"Wow! You really have mastered knitting, haven't you?" She looked over at her friend who was nodding bashfully. "This one's really pretty," said Chihiro as she picked up a light pink scarf that looked like it was woven out of cashmere. Kaonashi took it and wrapped it around the strap of her school bag.

"Oh, I can't take this as a gift, it's too fine. Besides, aren't you selling them?" Kaonashi nodded as if insisting. A refusal would be an insult to his hospitality, so Chihiro gratefully accepted the gift.

"I'll be sure to use it when the weather gets cooler! Thanks!" She took another sip of tea and looked around. "Wow this brings back memories. It hasn't changed one bit." Then, as she was just about to sit down on the dinner table bench, a strong gust of wind rattled the windows. Her heart leapt in expectation.

"Kohaku?" she whispered. Jumping to her feet again, Chihiro rushed to open the door. As she peered outside into the moonlit garden, she saw Zeniba walk up the stone path towards the door.

"Chihiro, child! I'm so glad you've come!" The short woman with her gray hair in a bun (sitting atop an unusually large head in comparison to the rest of her body) opened up her arms for an embrace. Chihiro felt the air being squeezed out of her. Granny Zeniba let go just in time for her to catch a breath.

"You're grown a lot, dear," smiled the witch.

"Hi Granny," greeted Chihiro. "I almost thought you were someone else for a second there." Zeniba nodded understandingly and held out her hands. Sitting in the palm of each of her hands were Yu-Bird and Bo the Rat.

"Hey Chihiro!" said Bo.

"BO-chan!" exclaimed Chihiro peering down at the fat, purple rat.

"I thought you'd recognize me better in this form," he said in a squeaky voice. "I would've come as my handsome self, but now that I think of it, this form travels better."

"Hmph. Bo is being punished by his mother at the moment. But it will wear off in a few," smirked Zeniba.

"What did you do?" asked Chihiro.

"I suggested that maybe she should pay the workers at the Bath House and give them a day off once in a while," he giggled. Chihiro burst out laughing. "No wonder she turned you into a rat!"

She held out her hand and Yu Bird, now, more like the size of a big bug, buzzed a salutation. Chihiro put her nose to its beak in greeting.

"Yu Bird has been like that since you left. Now in his smaller form, he prefers to go along with Bo as opposed to going out with Yubaba," explained Zeniba. "So here are your cavalry, as promised," she smiled.

"Cavalry?" asked Chihiro questioningly.

"Well, yes. The radish spirit sent me a telegram before you arrived. If you're to deliver the statuette back to the dragon lords, I'd imagine you need help. It's a long way to the Singing Sea from here. But first, something to eat." Zeniba pulled out a steaming pot roast from her oven as Kaonashi set the table.

"The Singing Sea?" asked Chihiro. To her chagrin, this smelled much like a quest to her.

"Where the river gods are gathering to make their stand. You need to follow the stream to the river, and the river's mouth opens to the Sea. There you will find the Great River God's palace." Kaonashi opened a folded parchment map and spread it on the table. He pointed a finger to where they were, a small dot marked in strange characters to what Chihiro knew to mean "Swamp Bottom." It was one corner of a larger land mass. A little bit away was the distinct picture of a small, gaudy Bath House, also with strange calligraphy marking its place. She presumed it said, "Yuya Bath House." There were so many other towns and cities on the map and Chihiro wondered what their names were. Kaonashi's finger dragged across the smooth parchment to a stream that flowed into a wider river, and then down to the delta where the river opened up to the sea. In the ocean was a picture of a dragon, much like the picture Chihiro had sketched in the notepad in her book bag. It was swimming towards a finely sketched palace with seven towers and seven spires. Chihiro wondered if its walls were made of fine white pearl that gleamed like dragon scales.

"All the way _there_?" she sighed as she absent-mindedly stirred her cup of tea.

"We're not allowed to touch the relics, Chihiro," said Zeniba. "I would take it if I could. But alas, I must stay here and watch over my domain, just as my sister is watching over hers. The mischeivous demons are running rampant nowadays. It takes a lot to keep our areas safe." She poured herself a cup of tea as Kaonashi poured out four bowls of soup. Yu Bird folded up the parchment map and put it on top of Chihiro's book bag.

"Besides," she added. "_He_ will need you to bring it there before he is done." A secret smile spread across Zeniba's wrinkly lips.

"What are you smiling at, Granny?" asked Chihiro as she brought a spoonful of potato soup to her lips.

"Your love and affection for him has remained true all these years, despite the lapse in memory," she grinned. "The heart is a strange and wondrous universe unto itself. That's true love for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Chihiro spooning more and more potato soup into her mouth. Her face flushed again.

"Chihiro," warned Bo. "You should stop to breathe in between spoonfuls; you're turning all red!"

Zeniba let out a mirthful laugh. But, in a more serious tone, she added, "He and his brothers are struggling now, Chihiro. They are battling daily and both sides are at a stalemate. Perhaps it was Fate that led you to obtain the statuette. If you had not gotten off that train this morning, you and I would not be speaking now at my table, and you would likely never have seen him again. I trust that your instincts will see you through this," she said gently.

Though her words and tone were kind, Chihiro was not comforted. Was Kohaku fighting even now, as she sat in this cozy house eating a warm meal among old friends? Haste filled her heart and she wanted to begin her journey right away.

"You will leave early tomorrow morning, which is soon enough, dear," said Zeniba, reading the expression on her face. "I can only protect you up to my borders. After that, you, Kaonashi, Bo and Yu Bird will travel on by your own wits."

Though she didn't say it, Chihiro knew that Granny Zeniba was thinking the same thing Radish had said to her before they parted ways; _May the gods smile upon you_.

Without even realizing it Chihiro reached into her pocket and felt the edges of her fortune paper with her fingers. An unfamiliar sentimentality had made her keep it in her pocket since that evening Kohaku read it to her. Chihiro was a bit unnerved that her Fate was being cast like dice, and she had no idea which way the dice were going to fall. She wasn't much of a gambler. But even so, she hoped Kohaku was still all right, and she was determined to get to him somehow.

As Zeniba and the others were clearing off the table, Chihiro snuck away to an alcove and window. High above, the full moon shone as brilliantly as ever, a pale face pinned against a dark, starless sky. Chihiro pulled the crumpled fortune out of her pocket.

"When the moon is full, receive your fortunate destiny," she sighed. Maybe there was something to this fortune telling business, after all.

* * *

Note: Tell me what you think of it so far. God knows when or how I'm going to end this. I hope you all understand all of my obscure references! _Sadako_ is the stringy-haired ghost who died in a well in The Ring (Ringu in Japanese) and _Kagome_ is the heroine in the anime Inuyasha who falls into a well and ends up in feudal Japan.

-Kero (6/25/06)


	7. Long Long Way to Go

Hey there! I realize that this is a really fluffy story. Lol. I wanted it to have a light fluffy feel to it; after all, it is a Miyazaki film. Very family oriented… He doesn't really do drama and angst, except in _Mononoke Hime_, and maybe _Tales of Earthsea._

–Kero. (5/11/09)

* * *

Chapter 7: Long Long Way to Go

Chihiro scowled at the downpour from underneath her tent. The dripping lines of water fell like a beaded curtain of crystals, disappearing into a muddy puddle on the floor just outside the tent doorway and awning. She wrapped her blanket closer around her shoulders to keep out the chill. The purplish clouds covered the sky and nighttime stars with a thick layer of gloom. Chihiro's spirits definitely matched the scenery.

The minute they had ventured out of the Zeniba's domain, which was also protected by her magical wards, they encountered inclement weather and more obstacles. If it wasn't a downpour, it was flooding. If it wasn't flooding, it was a fallen tree obscuring their path. Chihiro wondered if they would ever reach the mouth of the river at this rate. What she wouldn't give for an all terrain vehicle, or even a burro. Kaonashi, who was sitting next to her, fascinated at the droplets of relentless water draining from the roof of the tent, looked at his sullen friend. He reached one of his shadowy, skinny arms over to pat her on the back as if consoling her. Humans, after all, were always in such haste. Unlike spirits, who had all the time in the world.

"Thanks, Kaonashi. I'm okay. I'm just a little worried about Kohaku. I can't help but feel that time is of the essence," she sighed. Kaonashi nodded in agreement. Bo and Yu Bird tended to the small portable fire and foot warmer in the center of their large tent. If it wasn't so soggy outside, Chihiro might have been enjoying the camping trip. She couldn't remember the last time she and her parents had gone camping in Kyushu, but she remembered it was fun. They always had the habit of taking their only daughter with them for any vacation. Chihiro sighed, wondering if her parents had put out a police report on her disappearance yet.

The four of them, keeping dry in the tent, were by no means uncomfortable. The interior of this tent was richly furnished with Persian carpets, sitting cushions, a low table and waterproof lining. It was a donation from Yubaba. Zeniba had provided some dried meats and sausages, unbreakable tea cups and dinnerware, as well as the heating lamp and a pot. They even had their own sleeping bags. She had no intention of letting Chihiro "rough it" in the wilderness. Amazingly, everything folded up nicely into a backpack that Kaonashi usually carried. Through some magical charm, the backpack was much lighter than expected and even Chihiro could carry it. A magic spell made the tent much bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Still, not even these comforts were enough to raise her spirits at a time like this.

The previous night, she had dreamt of Kohaku, and in her dream she saw that he was battered and bruised from fighting. There was such a lonely look in his eyes that made her heart cry. She wanted to call out to him but didn't know what to say. They were standing in a large stone hall, tall high ceilings elegantly carved with large stone pillars created by old magic, centuries past. Chihiro had the distinct impression that this was under the sea in the Dragon King's palace. The light through the colorful stained glass windows wavered and waned like the sun's rays through moving waters. He looked past her as if she were invisible. In silence he walked away from her and she tried to call his name. He didn't answer. She tried to follow him, but found him already gone. In her dream, she heard herself say, _Why do you always leave me behind? Can't I follow you?_ Then she woke up.

"Chihiro," squeaked Bo the Rat, who had been very quiet at his corner of the tent as he was pouring over the map with a magnifying glass as big as he was that he pulled out of god knows where.

"What is it, Bo?" she asked.

"I was thinking about the path we're taking. Since the river we're following right now winds around so much, I thought it'd be faster traveling in a straight line. But, since that's not possible because of the soggy terrain, and the fact there are no bridges, I thought maybe we should get a boat and take the river down to the mouth. It would be wetter, and I can't swim, but definitely faster." Both Yu Bird and Kaonashi shook their heads in disapproval in unison.

"Wouldn't it be dangerous, Bo? We'd be riding the rough rapids and you admitted that you can't swim…," said Chihiro. Both Yu Bird and Kaonashi nodded their heads to agree with her in unison.

"But you're so sad right now…I just thought maybe it'd be better if we just got there quicker. You could see Master Kohaku and be happy again," sighed Bo sullenly. Chihiro looked at the fat purple rat and couldn't help but smile. She scooped him up and gave him a kiss.

"Thanks, Bo. But I want everyone to get there in one piece. We'll go the safest route, the long way," she replied, putting him back down on the low table. Kaonashi seemed to heave a sigh of relief.

"If Kohaku were here, he'd just take my hand and speed away like the wind." Chihiro gave a little weak laugh as she held her hand up to her face. She remembered the last time he had held her hand was in the forest, as they were attempting to retrieve the statuette from a group of demons. His hand had felt very warm when it held hers.

"But that would take days on foot, Chihiro," retorted the little rat rather sulkily. "I think we would be better off going by way of the river."

"Where can we find a boat? Do you have any ideas other than going by boat? I don't even know how to steer a boat in these conditions. I've never really been river rafting or anything," answered Chihiro. "And we don't have any life preservers."

"Well…"said the rat thoughtfully. "There IS one way…" he said slowly. His little paw was holding his chin and his little nose was twitching as the wheels in Bo's head were turning. _Well, he IS Yubaba's boy. Cleverness must run in the family,_ thought Chihiro to herself.

* * *

CUT SCENE

* * *

"IIIEEEEAAAAAAH!" cried Chihiro as she clung on to dear life. But cling to WHAT exactly?

_I take everything back; Bo _is_ as crazy as his mother!_ she thought to herself. Chihiro, with Bo perched on her right shoulder and Yu-Bird clinging to her left, and Kaonashi crumpled behind her were traveling in a magical bubble, being propelled by Bo's thoughts. A large splash of water and engulfed the bubble riding the waves of the river, and the bubble passed through it, leaving the inside completely dry.

"I can't believe you convinced me to do this, Bo! Are you sure this is safe?" asked Chihiro, as her hands pressed up against the bottom of the bubble. Their mode of transport was hard, as if made of clear transparent glass, with no openings. But it remained cool inside, with plenty of air to breathe. The sphere itself took the colorful sheen of a soap bubble. Chihiro had no idea how Bo was keeping it so she wouldn't suffocate. She didn't know about spirits, but humans definitely needed oxygen.

"Trust me!" grinned the little rat, completely excited that his plan was working. Chihiro wondered if he had actually known from the beginning that this bubble idea would work; or was he using them as guinea pigs? She could equally imagine them sinking to the bottom of the river in the bubble and the little rat shrugging his furry shoulders saying, "_Whoopsie, sorry guys. I _thought_ it was going to work. Tee hee hee, my bad_." Upon looking closer at the little rat perched on her shoulder, she knew he was really concentrating to keep the spell active. She thought it better at this point to stop asking unnecesary questions and let him steer.

With the finesse of a seasoned mariner, Bo did manage to avoid hitting rocks and running aground. They were winding down with the river to the delta, and it was definitely faster than going on foot.

"How long before we get to the river's end?" asked Chihiro over the sound of the water rushing past them.

"I think, by the end of the day," responded Bo.

"Good, I think Kaonashi is getting sea sick…" said Chihiro, patting her other friend on the shoulder. Kaonashi's mask had turned a slight shade of green ever since they had gotten into the bobbing bubble. "Hang in there, Kaonashi. Not much further now," she consoled. He nodded warily.

"Don't puke in here like you did in my mom's Bath House!" warned Bo. "I don't have any ventilation systems of that power designed in here!"

_Do you have ANY sort of system designed in here?_ asked Chihiro to herself, looking around at their simple form of bubble transportation.

Just then, Yu-Bird started flapping its wings wildly. Chihiro looked at it puzzlingly, wondering what it was getting worked up about. Unlike Kaonashi, she had no idea what Yu-Bird was thinking most of the time. Yu Bird started to buzz around Bo.

"Stop it, Yu. I can't concentrate with you buzzing around my ears like that!" said Bo. Again, still concentrating on steering the bubble, he managed the avoid a rather large jagged rock sitting in the middle of the continually fast paced river. Then, his eyes went as wide and round as giant discs.

"What?" asked Chihiro. She looked ahead and saw the end of the river. Not exactly the end she was looking for. The river completely tapered off as if falling off the side of a table.

"WATERFALL?" squeaked Bo anxiously. He pulled the map out of Chihiro's book bag, flinging it open and looking around widly at the twisting shape of the river.

"There ISN'T a waterfall marked on here!" he said frantically. "All hands, REVERSE!" Chihiro wondered whose "hands" he was referring to as there was no other method of steering the bubble aside from Bo's magic. But at this point, she would've gotten out of the water and pushed if need be. Unfortunately it was too late to turn around as they were already caught in the flow of the tide, pulling them closer to the end.

"It's not working!" said Chihiro equally as anxious. "Can't you fly us out of here?"

"DO I LOOK LIKE A _BIRD _TO YOU?" cried the little rat. Suddenly they all stopped and looked expectantly at Yu Bird, who gulped anxiously. Surely, they didn't expect _him_ to fly them all out of here?

"Can you make Yu Bird as big as Yubaba-san?" asked Chihiro.

"What are you trying to say about my mom?" asked Bo, rather insulted.

"No! I meant when she transforms into a bird! You've seen her right? She flies off early in the morning as a large bird going who knows where. Can you change him into that?" said Chihiro, exasperated.

"Oh, I see!" said the little rat with a nod, pounding his little fist down into an open paw.

"Okay, everyone listen. When Yu Bird transforms, I'm going to grab his neck. Kaonashi, you hang on to me. Bo, you stay on my shoulder and hold on tight. Got it?" Chihiro asked. Everyone gave a firm nod. Yu Bird broke out into a sweat.

"Don't worry, Yu, I'll make you big enough for everyone," smiled Bo.

"Have you ever done a spell like this before, Bo?" asked Chihiro cautiously.

"Nope," said Bo cheerfully. "But there's first time for everything, right?"

"Right…" answered Chihiro slowly. Kaonashi was looking greener by the minute.

_Why do I have a BAD feeling about this? she thought to herself._

"But I can't pop the bubble until the very last minute. Otherwise, we'll drown in the river or we'll lose each other. This has to be timed right. Too early and he'll crush us inside the bubble with his size. Yu, the minute we reach the edge I'm going to transform you as the bubble disappears. Kick off with your feet and spread your wings immediately. Chihiro, I'm counting on you to grab on to Yu almost instantaneously."

"Roger," said Chihiro, rubbing her hands together and crouching on her feet in anticipation. Little Yu Bird looked a bit pale. The end was fast approaching.

"Here…we…GO!" cried Bo. In an instant the bubble was gone with a little "pop" sound. The cold feel of water in her shoes made her shiver as she was falling into the waves. She saw Yu Bird transform into a larger version of itself, like a giant crow. She grabbed onto its tail feathers as Yu Bird took flight. Not quite the neck hold she was hoping for. Her heart was racing as she held tightly onto the slippery feathers. The waves crested and fell, and it was a long, long way down. Chihiro felt as though she was staring down the last drop of the Splash Moutain ride at Tokyo Disney. Except, without the log. Or the rails. Or the the safety of modern technology, for that matter….

_Eh he, hehe…I'm gonna die! _she thought to herself as her heart leapt up into her throat.

Then they were falling. Chihiro found it hard to breathe in the air that was rushing past her. Her grip of the tail feathers was slipping. Gravity was pulling them down faster and faster. Apparently, the laws of physics worked much the same way in the spirit world as in the real world. Yu Bird fell beak first, like a missle, and then opened up its wings to slow its fall as the others caught up with him. Somehow, Chihiro managed to fall on top of Yu Bird and wrap her arms around its neck. Then, Kaonashi grabbed onto Chihiro's feet. Bo was clinging onto Chihiro's hair. But they were still falling. It wasn't until the very last minute that Yu Bird used the upward force of the air at the bottom of the waterfall and flapped hard to propel them back up and towards the sky. Chihiro looked around to check if her friends were still with her. She was relieved to find them all present. But, the sudden upheave motion really turned Kaonashi green.

Chihiro found it easier to breathe now, as they glided over the river. She looked ahead and thought she could see the river's mouth and the flat ocean beyond. Kohaku was just over that horizon.

"Whee!" cried Bo in delight.

"We're almost there, just hang on! Yu Bird, you can let us down by the side of the river, okay?" said Chihiro. Yu Bird squaked an approval and started descending towards the riverbank. Then, without warning, the group was startled by a sudden burst of light from below. A fireball flew up right past them and exploded above their heads. Then, another followed, just barely burning Yu-Bird's feathers. He gave out a great squawk of disapproval.

"We're being shot at?" exclaimed Bo incredulously. "Nobody told me we were going to be shot at!" With that, he lost his concentration and Yu Bird suddenly turned back into tiny Yu Bird.

Chihiro thought she heard Bo say, _"Whoopsie_," and they all went spiraling back down towards the water. Kaonashi and Chihiro crashed into the river with a hard splash. Chihiro lost sight of the other two before she fell in. Her lungs burned as she tried to breathe but remembered she didn't have any fish qualities and only water came into her mouth and nose. She felt herself tumbling along the river without any control, like a tumbleweed drifting on a strong wind current.

_Kohaku_, she thought. Then, darkness engulfed her.

* * *

Lol. A sudden cliff hanger... no pun intended. More to come... –Kero


	8. Again

This is starting to read like a never ending and self-perpetuating script! And there's a fight scene everywhere! Lol. Aren't you dying to know what happens next? I'm dying to know how it will end. These things always tend to write themselves. Again, I make no claim to Miyazaki's characters or his movie.

I was imagining all sorts of situations for this chapter. I always had this notion that their fates were intertwined. I think that's my favorite romantic theme in the movie. A god and a mortal with intertwining fates…sigh… Kohaku really is just too cool. I should get him back into to story, somehow… -- Kero. (6/25/06)

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Chapter 8: Again

There was an old woman singing an ancient Okinawan island song in her head. Or at least that's what she thought it sounded like. She couldn't remember where or when she had heard such a sad, melancholy tune. Layered into the singing, Chihiro thought she could hear other voices as well. They were very faint at first, but then started to get louder and more clear. There were apparently having a dispute about some topic in their conversation. What were they talking about? Chihiro strained her ears to hear what they were saying above the old woman's singing.

A vision of three young men standing in front of a dais in a throne hall came to mind. They were all dressed in several layers of rather classical style courtly noble robes glittering with finely stitched embroidery. Their sleeves almost touched the ground. Tall hats sat atop their heads, making two of them look like ancient officials of high rank, with their hair bound tightly in buns tied in flowing ribbons. These two looked like twins. The third one, the youngest, had his hair cut short in a funny style. _That's really outdated_, she thought to herself. _Even moreso than the clothing…_

At first, she thought she was watching an old TV drama of the _Tale of Genji_ or something, but she didn't recognize the actors. Then, it came to her that one of them was a younger version of Kohaku.

"Father," said Kohaku. "Why have you done this?" His voice carried out into the stone throne hall. Chihiro thought she had seen this exact hall once before, in a dream.

"Calm youself, brother," said a slightly older boy in a warning tone. There were three of them standing in front of tall silver chair with an old man sitting in it. This old man wore a crown of coral and his greenish beard went nearly to the floor. He was neither young nor old. There was a timeless look in his deep blue eyes.

_That must be his father,_ thought Chihiro. The king of the river gods. He really didn't look all that nice. Not at all like Kohaku.

"It is for the best," said one of his brothers as the the old king watched them, stroking his long beard with a gnarly hand.

"But her memories have been completely hidden," said Kohaku rather crossly. "She won't remember anything she did, nor the spirits she befriended, and she won't…," he paused suddenly, as if trying to choose his words more carefully.

"Remember _you_?" asked his eldest brother. He wore a gold emblem on his tall hat denoting his rank. "Her life is fleeting, like all humans. In the tiny breath that is her entire life, she will not miss you. It is not important that she remembers you. Humans and gods are of two different worlds."

"Why is it so important to you, Kohaku? These are the same humans that pollute our waters, who deplete our power by damming our rivers, who hunt our subjects relentlessly and hide their toxic wastes in our seas? She is of a kind that cares not for nature or our sacred father. He grows weaker each day because of them. Surely you had no intention to continue to befriend one of them?" asked his second brother.

"She saved me," said Kohaku stubbornly.

"You were always too kind, Kohaku," said his older brother. "She is better off not remembering as she will not be able to find you again. Would you rather her grow old with regret always in her heart?"

"No," responded Kohaku. "But I made her a promise." There was a steely gleam in his eyes. He knew he wasn't going to win this argument. But behind the steely gaze was a look Chihiro had seen before in another dream. The look of longing and lonliness.

"I can sense that you and this child have a deeper connection than you would lead us to believe, Nihiyagami Kohaku Nushi," said their father. At the sound of his low, rumbling voice, all three sons bowed in respect. Chihiro thought his voice sounded like thunder in a stormy night. "In that case, I am glad that what is done is done. The role of spirits and gods is to only watch. We do not interfere in the fates of mortals. You are forbidden, my son, to go seek her out ever again. Go now, and tend to your domains until I have need to call you," said the old king.

"Yes, honorable Father," they responded in unison. The old woman's sad song faded into silence.

Chihiro's mind was hurled back into the present and she opened her eyes. It was dusk and the air was cold around her. Her chest felt as if it was going to burst. In a violent fit of coughing, she rolled over and painfully coughed out the rest of the water in her lungs. She felt a gentle hand pat her on the back to help her breathe. Chihiro looked up and saw the friendly mask of Kaonashi.

"Thanks. Did you help me out of the river?" she asked. She had absolutely no recollection of how she had gotten out of what could have been her final, watery resting place. Kaonashi nodded.

"Where are we?" Chihiro looked around and saw the river and behind her, the forest. "Do you remember being shot at?" she asked, not really remembering what had happened before. Bits and pieces were coming back to her. Again, her friend nodded.

"What was that about?" she asked. "Who would shoot us down?" Then she looked around again as if searching for something she just realized was missing. "Where are the others?"

Kaonashi shrugged his shoulders.

"I hope they're okay. Bo can't swim," she said worriedly, afraid for her friend's well being. Kaonashi patted her shoulder reassuringly, as if to say that Bo was a resourceful young wizard, being the son of Yubaba. He would think of something. Besides, Yu Bird was with him.

"I guess you're right," she replied. "It's getting dark and we shouldn't stay out here in the open. Heaven knows if more fireballs will come raining down on us. We better get someplace drier. And safer," she added. Somewhere out there was an enemy and Chihiro shuddered at the thought of them searching for her.

With the help of Kaonashi, they found a dry spot along the flat side of a tall cliff. There was some water there trickling down the side of the rock, falling neatly into a clean pool. It was good enough to drink and they filled their canteens with new water. Chihiro had used up the last of the temple water given to her by Radish to wash clean a painful wound on her elbow; an injury that must have occurred while she was in the river. Kaonashi pitched tent and then prepared a small meal for the two of them. He insisted that she rest and recuperate, considering she had swallowed a lot of river water and nearly drowned. As she watched her friend busy himself against the light of the heating lamp, she wondered about her vision. Why had she dreamt about that? Chihiro looked down at the bookbag at her side. Was it the magic relic inside the statuette? Had that really happened in the past?

"Maybe his father will like me better if I return this thing to them," she sighed. Before they had met at the onsen, she wondered if he had ever tried to see her without her recognizing or acknowledging him. How many times had they passed on the street like two complete strangers? She wondered why it was so taboo for a god and a mortal to be friends. But something else stirred dangerously close to realization within Chihiro. It was not just a feeling of strong friendship towards Kohaku, but it was also something else; something she felt only when he was close to her and it made her insides do somersaults.

Chihiro wondered that her heart had not forgotten Kohaku despite her memory lapse. Subconsciously, it may have prevented her from thinking about other boys as she grew up. She had never met a gentler, kinder person. He was brave and true, something she rarely found in people nowadays. Chihiro could just stare into his eyes, those dark green pools of water drawing her in, be lost forever and content to pass an eternity like that.

She pulled out a handkerchief from her book bag. Something shiny had fallen onto the carpet. She picked it up and examined it a little closer. It was the shell-like, pearly dragon scale she had taken off one of the wall carvings at the temple during her summer trip.

Another sigh escaped her lips.

_Kohaku_….

000

He swatted a loose strand of hair away from his face. Having suffered a few scrapes and bruises at the hands of demons, and having fought for hours on end, the youngest river dragon prince was too tired to care about appearances. His robes were a bit dusty and there was a tear in one of his sleeves. Kohaku was limping a little from when a demon had almost pierced his foot with its claws. But, he walked onward, towards the pearly double doors of his father's throne room. He could hear his brothers Sihomitutama and Sihohirutama discussing something very loudly in the throne hall, their voices echoing. With both arms he raised his hands against the huge doors and they swung open with barely a creak.

There, in the dimly lit ancient throne hall he saw his brothers, dressed in full battle armor, sitting at a table the servants had brought for their meal. It wasn't until he got closer that he saw a small purple rat and a tiny bird nibbling away at some cakes and leaving crumbs all over the immaculate white tablecloth.

"You?" exclaimed Kohaku stepping up closer to see if his eyes were deceiving him.

"We found them wandering at the side of our father's river. They said someone had shot fire at them," said his oldest brother, Sihomitutama.

"Master Kohaku," said Bo with a slight bow. "It's been a while," he said cheerfully.

"After our meal, they will take us to where they were attacked. I think the demons are closing in on us, brother," said his second brother, Sihohirutama.

"Fear not. They have much to learn if they wish to storm our father's palace," said Sihomitutama with a grim look in his eye. "If only we could locate our sire, the king…"

Ignoring both of his brothers, Kohaku asked, "What are you doing here, so far away from Yubaba's domain and protection?"

"We came on a quest!" exclaimed Bo excitedly. Yu Bird nodded firecely in agreement.

"A quest?" he asked, not really comprehending what they were trying to tell him.

"We were trying to return one of the relics to you…but…" said Bo. His expression changed and he looked as though he were going to cry. "But we lost it in the river! And we lost CHIHIRO!" The little rat finally succumbed to violent sobbing. However, he managed to continue to eat fistfulls of cake through his sobs.

"Chihiro!" exclaimed Kohaku incredulously. "She's here?"

Bo nodded. "She said it was her first day of the eleventh grade, whatever _that _is. And she was on her way to school when she caught sight of a demon on something called a '_sub way_.' She followed him to a place called Ueno Temple. The Radish spirit lived there and helped her vanquish that demon who was looking for the relic. Chihiro was the only one who could hold the relic, so Radish told her to go find help. We were supposed to help her deliver the relic here. But, we fell off a really big waterfall that wasn't even marked on the stupid map! Yu Bird saved us but then someone shot fire balls at us! Kaonashi and Chihiro fell into the water. Yu Bird flew me safely to the bank. I was too confused to save them!" said Bo distressfully. "They just disappeared under the water. It went by so quickly… I DIDN'T EVEN GET A CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE!" A new wave of crying and sobbing and very loud nose blowing overtook the small frame of the little purple rat. Kohaku didn't care to stay and hear the rest of it, as he was already headed back the way he came.

"Brother, where are you going?" asked Sihomitutama. "You must eat something to replenish your strength before you go out to fight again." This advice was completely ignored.

"Kohaku?"

"Don't wait for me," was Kohaku's only reply. His voice was steely and his purpose already set in stone. Yu Bird watched Kohaku leave the throne hall and then looked curiously as Bo as his crying completely stopped as suddenly as it had come and the rat continued to eat heartily from his piece of cake.

Bo just smiled secretly and gave his friend a little wink as if saying, _That oughtta do it._

000

Chihiro had just snuggled into her sleeping bag in their tent when she thought she heard something. Or perhaps it was nothing? She listened hard and noticed that the crickets' song had stopped. That could only mean one thing: someone or something was approaching.

She tapped Kaonashi on the shoulder lightly and and gentured to him to be silent, and that something was outside. Kaonashi soundlessly went to the tent door and slowly unzipped it, trying to be as quiet as possible. He peeked outside. Then, he turned to Chihiro and nodded as if to say, yes, I see something. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest.

What to do?

She pulled out the paper talismans Radish had given her from her book bag. Chihiro motioned for Kaonashi to get back as she crouched down, facing the tent door.

At first, nothing happened. But then she could hear approaching footsteps getting closer. In the dim light provided by the sliver of a moon in the sky, she saw the silouette of a clawed hand trace over the fabric of the tent. Without even thinking, she reached into her bookbag and clutched the shell-like dragon scale in her hand. Chihiro took a gulp and a deep breath, and held it. She then recalled something that Kohaku had said to her once, about spirits being able to detect human breath. Chihiro wondered if it was the same for demons. The clawed hand slowly moved the zipper down further to open the tent and the tent door was pulled back. Chihiro saw an ugly, hairy face with glowing red eyes staring back at her.

Out of fear or desperation, Chihiro leapt forward armed with a talisman in her oustretched hand.

"Don't come near us!" she shouted as she affixed the talisman to the demon's forehead. The demon froze. Then, Kaonashi also leapt forward and pushed the demon out of the way. Chihiro followed behind, tumbling out of the tent. When she landed, she realized that there were others coming out of the shadowy undergrowth. They were surrounded.

"Kaonashi! Don't get anywhere near the talismans!" Chihiro called out. She took another talisman and held it between her forefinger and middle finger. She took aim at an approaching demon. At that point she felt just like a _miko_, like Kikyo or Rei in the TV anime. She then realized that anything was possible in this spirit world and her potential unlimited. Her other hand clutched the pearly scale tightly in a fist. _Give me strength_, she thought silently. At that point, the talisman went rigid and she let it fly.

"Be gone!" cried Chihiro. Like an arrow shot from a bow, the talisman flew through the air and landed on the chest of another demon. Instantly, the demon froze and broke down into a million pieces of ash, swirling down to the ground. The demons stopped to marvel at this mortal girl's powers.

"Don't just stand there gawking; ATTACK! Get the relic!" cried their demon leader, raining down fireballs upon their target. The group converged upon Kaonashi and Chihiro once more. The pair dodged out of the way of the fireballs in opposite directions. Then, Kaonashi, being a shadowy bottomless pit of a spirit that he was, rushed forward, opened up his mouth and swallowed up a large group of them. He let out a little burp as the demons faint voices were heard from inside his belly. Kaonashi's stomach bulged a bit, moving around in awkward angles indicating that the demons inside were still trying to get out, but to no avail.

"That was a little gross, Kaonashi," grimaced Chihiro, feeling her stomach turn.

With her guard down, she suddenly became a target for the leader. He leapt up into the air and came bearing down on her with a blaze of power rushing forth from his hands. Kaonashi could not get to her in time, having suddenly added so much weight to himself. Chihiro clutched the pearly scale tightly and winced as she expected to feel herself catch fire. But nothing happened. She opened her eyes and realized that the shiny scale in her hand had worked as a charm, forming a translucent green barrier around her. The stream of fire engulfed the barrier, swirled around as if trying to break through, and then disappeared after it lost momentum.

"She is protected by the dragon lords!" exclaimed the demons. They realized that Chihiro was no ordinary mortal and started backing away, unsure of their next move. The girl was blessed by the gods. Their leader, astonished that a mere mortal should possess such a charm, was still undeterred in his purpose.

"There are no dragon lords here, fools!" their leader shouted angrily.

"Wrong," came a stern voice out of the wind. A strong gale rushed through the forest, picking up leaves and twigs high into the air. When the dust had settled, the figure of a young man in fine robes stood between Chihiro and the demons. Kohaku raised one of his arms to the side, protectively in front of her, his long sleeve flying out in a sweeping motion.

"_This _dragon lord has come to protect her," he said with firey eyes and a dangerous tone.

* * *

Author's notes:

You ever wonder why Chihiro carries so many things in her pockets? Lol. I wondered that too when I read this over again. It's like a role-playing game. You keep picking up those darn little magical items,more than you know what to do with! I wanted Chihiro to be a normal, slightly jaded teenager. A sort of 'every girl' character. I had no idea what I was going to do with the pearly scale Chihiro had pilfered from the temple during her summer break. It was a completely natural thing for her to do at the time. But it came in handy as I was writing the fight scene in this chapter.

The Okinawan island song idea comes from the soundtrack of _Samurai Champloo_. For some reason, it reminds me of ancient things--things long past that cannot return. I have no idea what the old woman's singing, but it almost sounds like a sad, religous chant.

The only un-anime related reference is the title of the previous chapter, which came from the refrain of a song in Enya's CD _Amarantine. _The song has a feel for Chihiro's journey.

"_Through the darkness and the shadow_

_I will still go on;_

_Long long journey through the darkness,_

_Long long way to go_

_But what are miles across the ocean_

_To the heart that's coming home?"_

_Sihomitutama_ and his brother _Sihohirutama_ are names I took out of Japanese myth. According to legend, these were the names of two bells that controlled the ebb and flow of the tides.

--Kero.


	9. Chihiro's Decision

Note: I wanted to name this chapter something gushy, but then, that's not what it's all about. But certainly there will be gushiness…lol. It's one of MY stories, for heaven's sake. Thanks a bundle to those who cared enough to review my writing. (Sorry didn't make it for someone's birthday…lol, I get nervous under time pressures…) But I see that the audience is growing! Yay!

Agreed, Haku is just awesome, isn't he? I promise to stop making fun of his haircut. Aargh, but I did have a lot of problems conveying their feelings in writing. I mean, we all _know_ what they feel, but it's subtle. It's hard to encompass a more Miyazaki-like notion of subtlety. Tell me what you think in the meantime.

--Kero. (3/1/06)

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Chapter 9: Chihiro's Decision

Chihiro was beside herself with emotions tumbling inside of her. She hadn't expected him to find her so soon. Couldn't have asked for better timing, really. Body already feeling a bit worn after having exerted herself so much without really recuperating from her near drowning experience in the river, Chihiro was nearly spent. Reaching into her pocket, she also realized that she was down to her last talisman. Chihiro wasn't afraid, though. Now that _he_ was here, she didn't care how it would turn out, really. Seeing him again was all she wanted.

Kohaku stood before her as still as stone, his long sleeves billowing out behind him the wind. His deep, green eyes moved from one side to the next to survey the situation. None of the demons dared breathe too loudly, let alone move. Their leader had only told them to locate the relic; there was never any mention of fighting a god. No one dared to strike first.

"M-move forward!" stammered the leader. "Kill them all!" The demons, really uncertain now, murmured some words of dissent and started to back away.

"This is pathetic," said Kohaku in a low voice. "You dare strike against a girl, but dare not make me your opponent?" He crouched low and gathered a glowing orb of blue fire hovering between his hands. The energy gave off wispy swirls of smoke as it hovered in mid-air. For a second, there was no sound, as if the air had been sucked out of the forest, and then, a gust of wind out of nowhere propelled itself around the trees like a serpent, picking up debris from the ground and making it difficult to maneuver or see. As if his feet were propelled by lightning, Kohaku charged them all at once, before they had time to dodge.

"Unforgiveable," Kohaku said under his breath. The blue orb shot out like a spear of light and pierced through several of the demons all at once. They barely had time to cry out before dissipating into dusty swirls of ash carried off by the force of wind from Kohaku's lightning quick movements. Others tried to run, but Kohaku, his form spiraling out in varied attacks, appearing and disappearing several places at once, managed a punch here, a blast there, and left a trail of bodies moaning in pain on the floor. The leader rained down sheets of fire at him, but Kohaku leapt out of the way in a graceful one-handed double back flip. His whole body moved as weightless as the wind and with as much force as a propelling comet. Kicking off from a tree, he hurled himself forward in ninety degree angle armed with another power orb in his hand. He fixed his eyes on the leader, now the last demon standing.

"No, w-wait!" stammered the demon. "I was only following orders! I wasn't—" But before he could finish Kohaku thrust his hand towards the demon's chest. He stopped short of touching the demon, but the blue orb of fire injected itself into the demon's body and shot out through his back without creating a wound. The demon's eyes bulged and his body went limp before it scattered into a thousand pieces of ash. Upon seeing their leader vanquished, the remaining demons, severely wounded, fled into the forest for their lives.

_Kohaku…_ Chihiro's hand reached out to touch him to make sure he was real and she wanted to call out his name, but her arm numbly fell back to her side. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

When the fight was over, the wind died down and Kohaku took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He turned around to face her. The severe expression on his face previously displayed while fighting melted away; all of the ferocity had retreated and he was gentle Kohaku once more.

_Kohaku…_ She couldn't find the words. Chihiro could feel wet, hot tears starting to blur her vision.

"Chihiro, are you all right?" he asked softly. She thought her heart stopped as he approached her. He gazed down at her tenderly and touched her cheek ever so slightly with his fingers. Chihiro felt the blood rush to her face.

"K-Kohaku," she stammered, barely making out a whisper from her throat. "I…," she began, but again the words wouldn't come. What _did_ she want to communicate to him at this very moment, exactly? Her heart was bursting with a thousand phrases unsaid.

_I can't believe you just left me behind, again! I missed you! I can't believe I skipped school and followed you all the way here! I almost got myself killed! I was so scared! I don't want you to leave my side ever again. I love you…._

Her thoughts swirled around in her head at a dizzying pace. All of these things she wanted to say, and was afraid of uttering. Chihiro was anxious of the words stumbling over one another if she opened her mouth. Wasn't there a way for him to know what she was thinking even without her having to say it?

Chihiro's body was already weak from both physical and emotional exertion and it trembled as she took a tiny step closer. Her hand found its way to his fingers, still softly touching her face, and Chihiro covered his hand with hers, and leaned into his gentle touch. She closed her eyes and her tears glistened down her face.

"I wanted to see you," she said finally. As soon as she uttered it, her whole body went limp as if those five words had taken all the strength she had left. Her vision went dark and with her last step, she fell into him and fainted. Kohaku's sturdy arms wrapped around her and held her up against his warm body.

"I've missed you as well," he whispered into her ear, holding her closer still.

At that moment, Kaonashi decided to vomit up the demons he had swallowed previously. Each unfortunate wretch rolled out of his mouth, covered in sticky, acidic gastric film, moaning as if they too were about to be severely nauseous. The demons were too worn out from struggling and from being nearly digested to raise a finger against them.

"You must be Kaonashi," smiled Kohaku. Kaonashi nodded.

"Thank you," said Kohaku, "for protecting her." Kaonashi gave a little bow.

"Chihiro's right, though," added Kohaku as he lifted Chihiro effortlessly and carried her in his arms. "That really is kind of gross."

The shadowy spirit shrugged sheepishly as if to say, _Whatever works._

000

Chihiro woke up in a cool room decorated with soft green moss along its stone walls and beautiful flowers she had never seen before clinging to its high vaulted ceilings. The entire room had a calming effect. The sound of trickling water was coming from somewhere close. She sat up and found herself lying on a mossy green stone slab that was firm, but comfortable. All around her were pale green blankets that were not made from any material she had ever seen. They were thick and somewhat furry, and almost seemed alive, like seaweed.

There were pretty blue orbs floating around the ceiling that dimly lit the entire chamber. Shelves had been carved along some of the walls, and on these shelves were various boxes, containers and vases made of precious metals and covered in semiprecious stones. One very large chest on the floor in the corner was half open, and from Chihiro's viewpoint it looked to be nearly overflowing with gold bullion, crested with the seal of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Pretty jewels were randomly scattered on the floor around the chest.

Next to the chest was a running fountain with cups and a ladle along the rim of a semi-circle basin of marble that caught the water like a bowl. The sound of the water was calming, and the water smelled somewhat fragrant. She looked around the floor for her socks and shoes but they were nowhere to be found. Chihiro stepped barefoot onto the green mossy carpet of sorts that seemed to keep the chill from her body. Beyond the green moss was an elegant gray marble floor with veins of gold and silver running through each slab.

Chihiro looked down and discovered that she was wearing a long white shift, with a thick, extremely soft silk kimono robe draped casually over her shoulders. She had never worn anything so fine. She spun around once to admire how it gracefully draped down her legs and trailed onto the floor.

Walking over to the other side of the room where the light from outside was coming in, Chihiro noticed it was almost like a window. It was lined with vines from which small white flowers flourished. There was a veil of rushing water that covered the opening like a waterfall, but it made no noise. Chihiro touched the water and it slowly parted a little where her fingers intercepted the flow of the water. Outside she saw a vast and blue world. It looked like an underwater adventure she had often seen on nature programs on television. Fish swam by so close to her fingers that Chihiro thought she had touched a fin. She jerked her hand back and the opening closed.

"You should be resting, Chihiro," said Kohaku from behind her. Her heart fluttered at the sound of his voice and her body went rigid. Chihiro turned to see the one she most wanted to see. He was dressed in complete godly attire, accented by a beautiful deep blue kimono that reminded her of the color of the sea, decorated with shiny, almost luminescent gold patterns and light green embroidered dragons. A deep red sash and gold cord tied around his waist and draped down to his feet. Kohaku wore a tall, black netted hat with wing-like extentions on either side, a headpiece often associated with high ranking officials in ancient Japan.

"Kohaku," she said involuntarily as her body moved of its own accord, and her legs rushed her closer to him. In one swift movement and one more step she opened out her arms to wrap them around his waist and buried her face in his chest. Chihiro let her actions speak for her, all the things she couldn't say at that moment.

"Chihiro," he sighed as one hand gently touched her hair. "I can't believe you came."

"How could I stay behind and do nothing?" she said, her voice muffled against his kimono.

"This is not your fight. You aren't safe here," he said. Chihiro looked up and met his glistening dark green gaze.

"I don't want to be anywhere else," she said quietly.

"Chihiro," he said diffidently, moving his forehead down to touch hers. "You're really unbelievable; you know that, don't you?"

"I couldn't stand the thought of you battling your enemies alone, and the fact that I could do nothing to help you," she replied. "So when the relic came to me, I wanted it safely delivered to you. So I decided to bring it myself."

"And at nearly what cost?" asked Kohaku. "You've risked everything, including your life when you almost drowned in my father's river. How can I protect you if you're always so impulsive?"

"Are you angry?" she asked timidly. Kohaku gave her a warm smile and gently shook his head.

"I could never be angry with you," he said somewhat exasperated at how helpless he was when she looked at him like that. He looked down at her lips and leaned forward.

_He's going to kiss me,_ thought Chihiro to herself, half closing her eyes, feeling her temperature rise and her heart drumming in her ears. For the brief moment in which she held her breath, she wondered what consequences would come from kissing a god. She almost braced herself for the lightning strike condemning the blasphemy of her first kiss. But just before their lips touched, they heard the small patter of tiny paws and claws against the marble floor beyond the chamber.

"_Ahem_," said the little rat, looking away at anything but the nearly kissing couple as if his eyes were too innocent to see. Mechanically, Chihiro bolted upright and backed away.

"Bo!" she exclaimed as she saw her friend again.

"Here I _thought_ you might be worried about me so I came around to show you I was still among the living, but I can see you're kinda busy…" grinned the little rat.

"I—" she began, feeling the flush in her cheeks. "Don't be ridiculous, I wasn't….N-nothing of the sort, Bo," she stammered. Chihiro realized that her mouth and her brain were not entirely in synch and refrained from saying anything further that would make her sound like an idiot. Unknown to Chihiro, Kohaku found her quite endearing at that moment.

"His lordship's older brother would like a word," warned Bo, nervously glancing behind him. Chihiro realized that Bo had scurried in first to give her fair warning; just in case she was doing something…indecent…._Which I was not!_ insisted Chihiro to herself.

"Kohaku," said a firm voice from the chamber doorway. All three looked up to see Kohaku's second brother Sihohirutama, also dressed in fine, godly attire, looking rather sternly at Kohaku and Chihiro. "Our high brother, the Lord Sihomitutama, acting regent for our father the king, requests our presence in the throne hall."

"I'll come directly, honorable brother," Kohaku responded formally. Chihiro wondered if all gods spoke with such ceremonious language. Sihohirutama dipped his head in a partial bow towards Chihiro.

"My lady _miko_, your presence is also respectfully requested by my brother Sihomitutama." Chihiro's eyes went wide. _What did he just call me?_ She stole a glance at Kohaku but he was still looking ahead. She could see the two spirits' gazes interlocked, as if they were have some subliminal godly conversation out of earshot of a mere mortal girl. Without another word, Sihohirutama left them, and Bo scurried out behind him. Chihiro marvelled at how soundlessly gods walked.

"My eldest brother," said Kohaku, turning his attention to her once again, "rules the waters in my father's absence. He has heard of the journey you made to deliver my father's relic and your actions have inspired him to name you as a _miko_ of the river dragons. Sure enough, you are the first priestess for our family."

"Eh?" asked Chihiro, tilting her head to one side as if truly puzzled.

"He will ask you to assist us in summoning our father from wherever he is."

"What? Me? _How_?" asked Chihiro, unable to create conversation at that moment that was more than one syllable at a time.

"You've received additional strengths, Chihiro, since that night you and I retrieved that first relic. Your use of the talismans is proof of that. My brother wishes to utlize your power and combine strengths to locate and call my father. As we are short of all of the relics, the three of us as we are now are not enough to accomplish this. But the only real question is: do you wish to help us?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked stubbornly.

"Your involvement could well endanger your life, Chihiro," said Kohaku rather uncomfortably. "I'd rather you didn't get involved. I just want to take you back to your home now." His eyes were pleading with her not to say yes. Chihiro moved forward and took his hands in hers.

She shook her head in dissent, not wanting to be sent away. If she left now, there was not telling if she'd ever see him again. For Chihiro, that was an even worse fate. She wasn't going to help them in order to maintain the balance in the heavens or save the world, or anything like that. Chihiro would volunteer for selfish reasons alone. Looking up, she said firmly, "I've already decided."

Kohaku pulled her close and held her tightly against him, his long sleeves almost completely hiding her from view. She did not see the troubled expression on his face.

"It's no wonder that I love you," he said almost inaudibly.

* * *

Author's note: _Ah, Kohaku anno baka!_ Kiss her already, fool… lol. It's really hard to convey a god's feelings. Their souls and minds are infinitely complex, moreso than humans, but how do you convey that sense of timelessness and loneliness in words that mere mortals understand? I had the same problems with Sesshomaru-sama.

But Kohaku is different from the others in his family. I always thought that maybe he had a fascination with humans, these little travelers in the real world, the place that gods only watch but seldom participate in, which made him capable of falling in love with Chihiro.

–Kero.


	10. Reviving the Dragon King

Author's Notes: Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing! I have revised the chapter a bit in order to answer more questions, and also to make things flow better. --Kero

* * *

Chapter 10: Reviving the Dragon King

Chihiro pulled back a bit, staring at him questioningly to inquire if she had heard him correctly. Her blood was racing through her veins and her heart was soaring. She suddenly found it difficult to breathe again.

Kohaku held her closer this time, and leaned his head in to kiss her. She closed her eyes as his lips gently touched hers. In the silence of that moment, they shared a sweet, uninterrupted kiss. Once again, Chihiro felt her knees buckling underneath her and her body being supported only by Kohaku's arms. When it was over, he touched his forehead to hers and she opened her eyes to see his sheepish smile.

_His father is really gonna hate me now, _she thought as she smiled back.

"Kohaku, I—" she began, wanting to tell him that she loved him too, but he only put a finger to her lips, as if he already knew what she was going to say and her feelings had been clearly conveyed in their previous gesture.

"Shall we go?" he asked softly.

Despite her true wishes, she nodded and Kohaku took her hand and led her to the outside. As she walked, she touched her lips with her fingers and couldn't stop thinking about their kiss.

Still blushing, she followed him out of the room. The exit's frame was a natural stone archway that looked a lot like a Shinto religious arch. Outside was a dark corridor lined with orbs of soft blue light, and at the end of it were a pair of golden double doors to what Chihiro concluded was the entrance to a vast hall. Kohaku raised his hand and the doors swung open. Gingerly walking out into the light, she gasped at the beauty of this palace. Pillars of glittering stone finely carved stretched up to the high ceiling. Carved dragons wound their way up each pillar and disappeared into the darkness above. As she walked, Chihiro listened to her bare feet against the cold marble floor. Up ahead, she could see a dais and throne. Tall staffs thrust into the ground held up large white orbs that appeared to be made of translucent glass to light the path to the throne. Each orb was held by giant gold talons grasping upward. Chihiro eyed the orbs curiously as she walked past them down the long hall. She was half expecting them to burst into flame, but they did not.

Then she saw him. A figure slightly taller than Kohaku standing beside a silver throne encrusted with gems. His kimono was black with gold accents. He wore his hair long, and it flowed behind him as he moved, just like in ancient paintings of celestial beings Chihiro saw in art museums. He resembled his youngest brother but did not have the same soulful expression in his eyes. His dark, scrutinizing eyes watched her carefully as she approached the dais. She forced her fear aside.

Kohaku released her hand as they approached. Chihiro recalled the dream she had in which his brothers were chastising him for caring about a human girl. She felt a little dismay at the thought of having to part with Kohaku, even if the war was won. Chihiro half hoped that the war would either continue or be lost and perhaps she could find a way to stay with Kohaku from then on, free of any constraints.

In a worldess exchange, the eldest brother noted to Kohaku, _So this is the one who has befuddled my youngest sibling_ _and enchanted his heart?_

_Do not mock me, Sihomitutama_, cautioned Kohaku.

_Relax, brother, I do not mock you. She has a strong spirit, I can see why you are drawn to her. But will she be enough to summon our great father? _wondered Sihomitutama.

_It is you, not I, who would risk her life to try it, Sihomitutama,_ said Kohaku masking his anger.

_If you love her, then do not let her come to harm when the time comes, Kohaku_._ You know this must be done; and out of her devotion to you she has volunteered herself for the task,_ said his eldest brother.

_Do not speak of her as if she were expendable,_ said Kohaku, this time allowing his brother to sense his warning and displeasure.

_Mortals are _all_ expendable,_ was his brother's only response.

"Welcome, _miko_," said Sihomitutama in an indifferent, but booming voice that echoed against the stone in the hall. "To my father's palace." He stood up and gave a slight bow. Chihiro, a bit startled by his reception, bowed uneasily.

"Let us cut to the chase," he said as he descended the dais steps, leting his elegant, long kimono flow gracefully behind him as he came down to her level. "As you know, there is currently a war between gods and demons. The dragon lords are among the last line of defense for the powerful spirits. After that, all of the lesser spirits will be in grave danger, their domains may well be lost. You are come here as we respectfully request your assistance. As a miko and our chosen priestess, you have unique powers to lend. It is our understanding that you will help us in this regard?" he asked. Chihiro nodded. She was still uncomfortable with his formal manner of speech and his high and mighty use of the royal "we," but she knew enough to show respect to the eldest son of the dragon king.

"What can I do to help, gracious river dragon lord Sihomitutama?" she asked carefully, hoping she had remembered the correct use of ancient titles from her Classical Japanese lessons.

"We will perform a ritual to call forth our great lord and father. As we only have three relics and three dragon lords, we are in need of your spiritual aura to hold the fourth relic in the incantation circle we have prepared. That would be the relic that you had already touched; the one that transferred some of its power to you, miko. The spell will draw power from you, miko, and it may endanger your life, depending on your strength. It is our understanding that you come here of your own free will?" he asked. Chihiro glanced at Kohaku, who was still glaring at his brother. She looked back to Sihomitutama and again nodded her head.

"Very well, prepare yourself in the sacred pool and don the attire that has been set aside for you," he directed. Clapping his hands twice, two beautiful twin river nymphs with flowing blue hair that almost swept the ground appeared from a side door. They bowed to Sihomitutama, then Kohaku, and then the tardy Sihohirutama who just came in from the hall entrance.

"Prepare the _miko _and bring her back here for the incantation," he ordered. The nymphs bowed again and escorted Chihiro towards the exit.

"A miko's heart is pure and untarnished by worldly thoughts. The purification ritual will assist you in this," added Sihomitutama as she exited, responding to Kohaku's glare with an careless shrug towards his youngest brother.

000

Chihiro took the coldest bath of her life in the sacred pool as the two river nymphs consistently and repeatedly poured basins full of icy, sparkling river water over her her head. A light mist, much like that derived from dry ice, hovered over the pool. The pool itself was being constantly fed by a waterfall flowing into the chamber on one side, and Chihiro was surrounded by white water lilies everywhere. She was dressed in her white shift that billowed out around her on all sides, itself resembling the blossom of a giant water lily, as she stood waist deep in the pool with her hands pressed together as if in prayer. 

_Purification, _scoffed Chihiro, stifling a sneeze. _More like cryogenic freezing…. _

She could think of nothing but the numbness in her fingers and the shivering breaths coming from her lips. The water nymphs quietly recited lines of ancient prayers as they poured, the meanings of which was unknown to Chihiro as her classical Japanese didn't extend into that sort of depth. She then heard gentle footfalls behind her as someone entered the chamber. Chihiro turned her head to see Kohaku standing there and watching her. Almost instinctively, she crouched low until the water covered her up to her chin.

"K-Kohaku," she said involuntarily, lips still shivering.

_Doesn't this defeat the purpose of the purification ritual…?_ thought Chihiro to herself, feeling the blood come back to her face.

"Leave us," said Kohaku to her attendants. The nymphs bowed and exited the room. He closed the curtain of the entranceway behind them. Kohaku stepped around the rim of the round pool looking at her thoughtfully. Chihiro then realized that he had a nice, warm looking towel on one arm. He offered her his hand and helped her out of the pool.

"Thank you," said Chihiro, gratefully wrapping the towel around her.

"Don't let my brother intimidate you," he said quietly. Chihiro could not at that moment read the expression on his face.

"I'm not afraid," said Chihiro willfully, thought it wasn't exactly true. Kohaku smiled again, placing his hands on her shoulders, and touched his forehead to hers.

"I didn't think you were," he responded gently. "At the time of the ritual, I won't be able to speak to you. Whatever happens, don't be afraid. Also, don't leave the safety of the circle, no matter what you see. The circle can protect you as long as you stay inside. All you need to do is listen to the words we chant, and clear your mind. My brothers and I will do the rest." He turned to leave the chamber but Chihiro's hand caught the end of his sleeve.

"His words don't change anything, Kohaku. Not about my decision…not about…the way I feel," she said hesitantly at first, and then with more determination. Kohaku's smile went wide and he turned around to fully embrace her with both arms in one sweeping motion. She couldn't recall when she had seen him so happy. Chihiro also wondered if she'd have to redo the purification ritual all over again when he left as now her mind was filled only of thoughts of Kohaku….

000

An hour or so later, after she was fully dressed by the two nymphs, Chihiro stepped into the dark throne hall, now only dimly lit by a few free floating orbs. All other lights were put out. Wearing traditional _zori_ sandals and _tabi_ socks on her feet, Chihiro felt a bit uncomfortable in her attire, which included wearing a starchy white kimono shirt with long sleeves and red hakama, exactly like a _betsushikime_ Shinto priestess. She slowly approached the dais where the silver throne had been romoved and the three dragon lords and their attendants were waiting for her. A glowing circle of weird scrawls, arrows and archaic symbols denoting the earth, wind, fire and water, the moon and sun and the eight directions denoted each inner partition of the circle. Chihiro marvelled that it looked like a giant glowing white net or spider web in which to catch the dragon king.

"Well met again, miko. Please take your place in the fourth quadrant and take the relic in your hands," instructed Sihohirutama. They were all holding a relic, and there was one last relic on the floor in an empty section of the circle. Chihiro did as she was told and stole a glance at Kohaku, who said nothing and only looked straight ahead. The second brother then nodded to his elder brother to begin. All three lords took a deep breath and closed their eyes, simultaneously beginning the chant to locate and retrieve their father. Chihiro closed her eyes and clutched the statuette in her hand.

She could immediately feel the warmth in the incantation circle, with all three dragon lords combining their power for the summon. Her knees felt a bit wobbly as she felt strength being drawn from her. The words wound their way around the inside of the circle, and mesmerized her mind. She couldn't help thinking of water. Though she had no idea what the chant meant, but she imagined herself in a place surrounded in mist; a world of silence and timeless reflection where the oceans, rivers and bodies of water in the natural world stretched out as far as the eye could see.

_I have seen this place before in a dream,_ thought Chihiro, though she could not now recall the particulars of that dream.

_Indeed you have,_ said a voice in her head. It was not the voice of Kohaku or either of his brothers, but it was a voice she had heard before.

_I had brought you here before, carried by a thought in your sleep_._ In your dreams, you have also seen me and know who I am_, said the voice. Chihiro thought for a moment and realized who was speaking to her. But where was this voice coming from?

_I have been sleeping between the spirit world and your world, the twilight world of the gods. These days I have lost my strength. My rivers are dirty and weakening. I did not tell my sons where I would be. I feel the old spirits slowly dying away as there is barely a trace nowadays of the ancient world, the source of my power._

Why was this voice in her head?

_I had hidden myself and sealed myself away where my enemies could not find me. You and I however, are linked by the dragon scale which you carry in your pocket. I understand now how your role will be played in the fabric of all that is. I ask your forgiveness for my failure to understand this before, and for sealing away your heart and hiding it from my youngest son. I now know that only you can play this part; our own priestess who will protect our domains and join the old world with the new in harmonious existence. Since you were young, the fates have been preparing you for this role…._

But how was she to do this?

_You will find a way to do what must be done, lady of a thousand depths, whose name is a reflection of your significance to us_.

Chihiro opened her eyes and saw the face of a grinning old dragon with a long, sea-green beard tinged with gray, drifting lazily like water waves in every direction. His entire body was a great ball of white light, hovering inside the circle. 

_The enemy approaches,_ she thought he said.

Around the dragon king, his sons were still chanting the summon. In a flash, the white light shot up into the topmost part of the hall, where Chihiro realized was not really a ceiling but the bottom of the Singing Sea. Immediately, his three sons transformed into their dragon forms, and raced up after their father, disappearing beyond the barrier between the palace and the sea, leaving Chihiro alone amid the circle. Only the stone statuettes remained. She placed her statuette on the floor and looked around the dark hall. Up above, Chihiro could hear the roaring ocean and thunder above as the last battle was about to begin. She needed to return to the surface.

"Bo, Kaonashi? Yu-Bird? Are you out there?" she called out. She thought she could hear the sound of a scurrying rat approaching.

"Are you done, Chihiro?" asked Bo, jumping up the dais steps one at a time. Behind him were Yu-Bird and Kaonashi.

"They just left without me," said Chihiro, rather annoyed.

"Did you expect a picnic afterward? Sihomitutama had received word from one of his scouts that a demon army was approaching by air towards this location. It seems that swarms of demons have found their way here, led by the last son of _Yamata no Orochi_ himself, Lord Hiei," said the rat, shuddering.

"I'm _so_ glad I'm not up there," he sighed.

"We're going up there," said Chihiro plainly.

"_Eh_?" asked Bo, putting his little finger in his ear to clear out the wax, not believing that he had heard her correctly. Chihiro stepped out of the circle.

"Is that really a good idea?" asked Bo, scrutinizing the magic writing on the floor, now fading as the last participant had stepped outside. "You're not safe outside the incantation circle, and the dragon lords won't have time to protect you up there…."

"Bo! Please!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, all right!" he sighed, exacerbated. He scratched his head as if deep in thought. "Shall we try the bubble again?" Bo asked cheerfully. Both Yu-Bird and Kaonashi shook their heads violently in protest.

"Whatever, just get me up there!" said Chihiro.

So, the four launched themselves in the bubble through the barrier of the palace at an amazing speed. A stream of blue and green water, and endless trails of bubble clusters raced past her. High above, she could see the light from the other side of the water. It would flash irregularly with brightness as lightning struck. With her friends supporting her, Chihiro focused on the light and prepared herslef for battle by taking her last talisman from her waist band, as well as the dragon scale. _Here we go_, she thought.

The bubble burst out of the water like a launched underwater missile and continued its trajectory into the sky. When the water had fallen away, Chihiro could see the ferocious battle up ahead. The first thing she could discern from the melee was the great dragon king battling the hulking seven headed Lord Hiei in the clouds. With another strike of sporadic lightning, Chihiro could make out the glimmering scales of the three dragon lords in the sky, ducking and and weaving through the masses of demons. Chihiro couldn't believe how many there were. But then the thought came to her. If the demons were organized by a strong leader, the demons would flee if the leader were vanquished, just like those demons in the forest.

Suddenly, the bubble popped and Yu-Bird was instantly transformed into Giant Yu-Bird and the group flew up higher in the sky. Kaonashi patted Bo on the head as if praising his recently mastered skill. Bo grinned proudly.

"Bo, I need to get closer!" said Chihiro anxiously.

"How 'close' are we talking about here, Chihiro?" asked Bo with a frown.

"Close enough to use this," she said, looking at the last paper talisman in her hand. She thought she heard Bo mumbling that he was stuck on a giant bird with a crazy woman, but he directed Yu-Bird closer to the fray.

* * *

Author's note: AH! NAILBITING MOMENT!

But, I have to say, if it wasn't for the talented music writing of Joe Hisashi, I wouldn't have been able to finish this chapter. It was going very dry and went through much editing. It's the Spirited Away soundtrack that I believe best sums up the relationship between Kohaku and Chihiro, especially in the prologue "One Summer's Day", "Reprise" & "Day of the River."

I was wondering if I wanted to hold off on the kissing, and then I thought…_Well, they better kiss _now_ in case anything happens to her…_ Lol. Then I thought if I should change the rating to teen+ with parental guidance, lol; j/k. I bet some of you were thinking that in the pool scene! Hah, perverts!

I wanted to portray Sihomitutama as a bit of a jerk; I wonder if that came through?

FYI: _Hiei_ is a mountain in Japan where gods and spirits were thought to gather (and is a demon in _Yu Yu Hakusho_/Poltergeist Report). _Yamata no Orochi_ is an ancient seven headed serpent demon slain by the god _Susanoo_ in Japanese mythology (the battle also depicted in _Blue Seed_).

FYI2: As for her name, the character for _chi _(also pronounced "_sen_") means a thousand in Japanese (pronounced _q'ian_ in Chinese); and the word _hiro_ means a fathom, the old term for measuring depth in deep water--or put it all together to mean "great depth."


	11. Amrita

I just wanna protect you, I just wanna protect  
The days when your face shone, smiling  
I just wanna protect you, enclosed in loneliness,  
your heart shaken by sadness  
For the rest of my days

I swear everything, I would risk everything,  
I would lose everything  
For the one I love, to think of you,  
to live together with you

--lyrics from "_Tune the Rainbow_" sung by Maaya Sakamoto (RahXephon movie OST)

I thought maybe this could relate to Kohaku's thoughts, but I think it applies to Chihiro as well…I wanted to portray Kohaku as being a lonely spirit, a trait that probably got him in trouble with Yubaba in the first place. I also changed up my chapters to try harder to reflect this.

-Kero

* * *

Chapter 11: Amrita

As she got nearer, Chihiro could see that the dragon king was having some difficulties with the seven headed serpent Lord Hiei. His pearly scales were marked up with bloody gashes everywhere. She knew he wasn't going to last long like this. His sons at the moment could not assist him as it was taking all of their strength combined to keep the other demons at bay with a barrier and strategic attacks. Everytime the dragon king launched another attack at Lord Hiei, it would bounce off of some barrier that protected the demon. Chihiro studied the fight carefully. With seven heads looming in front of her, it was impossible for her to use her single last talisman effectively if she was only aiming for one of them.

_There must be a key point where Lord Hiei would be affected the most._ She closed her eyes and pictured the body of the serpent demon. There were seven tails to match the seven heads, chopping off any one of them wouldn't make a difference. There were four stubby legs and two great black feathered wings. It must have a heart somewhere. She opened her eyes and saw it. There was a small blue _mitama_, or seed, at the base of its throats and centered in its chest.

"There," pointed Chihiro. Bo's eyes followed her finger to their target.

"THERE?" he asked incredulously, with his mouth gaping. The target was impossibly small. He muttered something under his breath about her better being right about this.

"We just need to get through the barrier," said Chihiro.

"Oh is THAT all?" asked Bo sarcastically. Then, Kaonashi put his hand on Chihiro's shoulder, as if to say that he's figured a way to accomplish the task. Chihiro nodded and the group flew right up to the barrier. The dragon lords, having kept most of the demons at bay launched a joint attack in Lord Hiei's direction at that moment, letting their father rest. They too were unsuccessful at penetrating the barrier, and continued to fly around their enemy, dodging his lightning attacks and bites from his jagged jaws.

Crouching upon Yu-Bird's back, Kaonashi climbed down to its large talons and hung onto one of its legs for support. They flew up towards to top of the barrier, right along the heads of Lord Hiei. Then, taking a deep breath, Kaonashi spit out some gastric juices out onto the barrier.

"_EW_!" said Bo, truly disgusted. Incredibly, the splash of gastic residue ate a hole into the barrier. There was an opening just big enough for her. She had to hurry as the opening was already starting to close up. Without another word, Chihiro stood up on Yu-Bird's back and then launched herself into the hole, diving down in perfect Olympic form.

"Chihiro!" cried Bo. The opening closed up completely, leaving Chihiro on the inside, all alone with Lord Hiei.

Kohaku, who was nearby, watched in horror as he realized what Chihiro wanted to do, and was too late to prevent her from committing such a foolish, impulsive act. The demons that Lord Hiei had brought immediately saw an opportunity. In a split second, they broke through the barrier the three brothers had held in place to keep them at bay. Sihomitutama and Sihohirutama were immediately overwhelmed with trying to hold them back, to no avail. They settled for taking them out two or three at a time, with hundreds more to go. Another group rushed through that defense, however, and charged Kohaku all at once, crashing into the dragon and clawing at him. He was taken aback by the shock of their attack, teeth and nails digging into his slender dragon body. Kohaku immediately transformed back into his human form to get away, leaving glittering trails of dragon scales peeling away in the wind. He set a powerful barrier to push them all back in his brothers' direction. To their astonishment, Kohaku left his brothers to fend for themselves and headed straight for the demon lord's barrier, risking everything to get to her in time.

_Chihiro,_ he thought desperately as he sped towards the hulking mass of Lord Hiei. _Don't die. _

For a moment, he feared that death would take her, and he would revert back into the quiet, lonely life he led before they had met, that day of the river. Kohaku was determined to save her at whatever cost.

Head first and falling at a pace slower than the usual gravitational pull, she realized the barrier had its own forces working within. Chihiro clutched the paper talisman to her chest. It was completely silent inside the barrier, except for the sound of her kimono sleeves and hakama hem fluttering as she fell further down.

Seven pairs of eyes stared at her and for a moment, looked rather surprised to see her there. As she fell, one by one, each of Lord Hiei's serpent heads hurled a purple fireball from its mouth. With the help of the dragon scale she clutched in the other hand, each shot was deflected or blocked, although Chihiro could feel some of the heat and thought she could smell the faint scent of slightly charred hair, as if she had used too strong a setting with a hair dryer. Chihiro extended her left arm out to steer her fall towards the _mitama_. A long serpent tail swatted at her with great force, but it was too slow for its size and just grazed her, spinning her upright so that she was now falling feet first.

Chihiro had almost reached her destination and she folded the dragon scale neatly into the paper talisman, the last of those given to her by Radish. Then, she extended her arms out in front of her and positioned the talisman with her right hand between two fingers and pulled back as if she were drawing back the string from an invisible bow. _Please let this work_, she prayed, hoping her training on the school _kyudo_ archery team would pay off. In that moment, she recalled the fortune that Kohaku had read to her at the temple, the crinkled paper that was still with her, tucked away in her sleeve pocket. For the first time in her life, Chihiro closed her eyes and knew exactly what to pray for.

"It WILL work," she declared as she felt the talisman's power grow bright and hot in her hand. She could only believe in herself now. She opened her eyes, took aim and then released it. As if fired from a gun, the talisman struck the _mitama_ with amazing speed, breaking it into several pieces. Lord Hiei screamed and writhed in pain, nearly slashing at Chihiro with his razor sharp talons and seven tails. Then his voice quieted, and he and his seven serpent heads started to dissipate into ash.

Suddenly, the power of Lord Hiei exploded outward with a loud boom that deafened Chihiro's ears and the barrier collapsed like a melting glass bowl, hurling the great cloud of ash in every direction. She was thrown out and up into the air. In that moment, as Chihiro looked at the spirit world from her upside down angle, she thought it the most beautiful place she had ever seen.

As the dark demon aura and thunder clouds cleared, beyond the gray ash of what remained of Lord Hiei, she could see the sapphire blue sky. Down below, as she plunged head first towards it with the full force of gravity now, was the soulful, cobalt blue Singing Sea; the home of her beloved. Beyond the sea were rolling hills covered in flowers and fileds of wild grass stretching lazily into the horizon. Was this Heaven? Chihiro wondered if this would be the end of her. It felt as though the pressure of the explosion had broken her body and she really felt nothing. She feared nothing. Both her mind and heart were at peace. Her only regret was not being able to see Kohaku. But, for some reason, from far away she thought she could hear his voice searching for her desperately.

_How can I protect you if you are so impulsive?_ she recalled him asking her. 

_That's okay_, thought Chihiro to herself. _I wanted to protect you, too._ She felt a certain satisfaction knowing that Kohaku would be safe now, and it was because she helped.

Then, she heard it. The soft whisper of another familiar voice in her head; the spirit of the dragon king. It was the voice she often heard in the twilight realm between waking and dreaming, but could never remember it when morning came.

_My gift to you, in exchange for your brave sacrifice, miko, _said the voice in her head. She thought she saw a bright, shinining light, like that of a falling star, hurtling straight towards her. Chihiro closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the light penetrate her body and she felt herself go limp. It was not uncomfortable, but it felt as though magic threads were weaving their way through her veins, repairing all parts that were broken. _May the legends sing your praises for all time_….she heard the voice say as it drifted away.

She had no strength left to open her eyes, but she knew that she had stopped falling. A pair of strong arms held on to her and she thought she could hear Kohaku's voice, though still very distant. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but there was still anxiousness in his tone.

Was she dead? Chihiro didn't dare open her eyes.

000

"Excuse me, miss. Are you all right?" asked a voice nearby. Chihiro surfaced out of the fuzzy darkness of her sleeping mind and heard the sound of water and chirping birds coming back into her consciousness. She could feel cold, wet grass against her cheek and smell its fragrance. Someone was poking her with a stick. Sunlight reflected through her eyelids, and it caused her to squint as her eyes fluttered open. She was lying in an empty, grassy courtyard. Chihiro sat up and scratched her head, wondering what she was doing in a place like this. For a moment, her memory was blank. She saw a pair of sandaled feet in front of her, partially hidden behind dark robes. Chihiro looked up at the head Shinto priest at the Ueno shrine with a puzzled look. He gave her an equally puzzled look in return and repeated his question. In one hand were a pair of chopsticks, and in the other, what appeared to be his breakfast in a rice bowl. He was sitting at the edge of a stone water well and had been poking her with his utensils.

"I'm fine," said Chihiro, getting up and dusting herself off. "I must have dozed off," she added.

"You know, miss, they have medicines to treat narcolepsy, nowadays," suggested the priest. Chihiro bowed her head politely, slightly embarrassed, and looked over to the well. It was boarded up and looked as if it hadn't been opened for years. There was a talisman seal on it.

"Wasn't that well open before?" asked Chihiro, as her memories of her spirit friends and interworld travel through the well came flooding back to her.

"It hasn't been operational for years. We keep a lid on it to prevent people or animals from falling in." He offered her a bottle of water, which Chihiro accepted gratefully as her throat was extremely dry.

"Why the seal?" asked Chihiro, in-between sips.

"To keep _Yamata no Orochi_ and his demon sons away," said the priest. Chihiro almost choked as she tried to breathe and swallow at the same time.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Legend has it that a young miko sealed away a demon lord in this well with a similar talisman in a war between gods and demons," he said simply. "She almost died from the task, but in return, the gods granted the miko immortality. Or at least that's what I heard."

"Oh," said Chihiro, truly puzzled. Her hand absently felt her chest. It was the spot where the bright white light had collided with her when she was falling from the sky. Yes, the warmth was still there. _It couldn't be…, _thought Chihiro to herself.

"Say, shouldn't you be in school?" he asked. Chihiro looked down at her watch.

"Omigosh, I'm late!" she exclaimed, reaching for her bookbag. She stopped short when she saw the fuzzy pink scarf tied around the strap.

"You'd better wear that," suggested the priest as he started eating his breakfast. "It's getting chillier these days." Chihiro wrapped the scarf around her neck and bowed politely, thanking him for his concern. She rushed back out the temple and down the long flight of stairs to the subway entrance, her scarf flying out behind her in the wind.

Throughout her train ride, she kept checking her watch, hoping she'd make it in time for second period. The regular sounds of the train on its tracks, thumping and clanging in regular rhythm, calmed her restlessness and panic. Riding alone, Chihiro thought about everything that had happened in the spirit world. She was confused about how exactly she had returned to the shrine in one piece. And where were her friends? Where was Kohaku? For a moment, she felt very lonely and longed to see them again. She looked at her reflection in the glass rather sullenly. Surely it wasn't just a dream? She fingered the soft, warm scarf around her neck absently, and reached into the pocket and felt the crinkled fortune paper still stuffed in there. It couldn't have been a dream.

She then thought about the story the priest had told her. Kohaku and her friends had somehow returned her to her own world. Again, she heard the dragon king's final words to her, _May legends sing your praise…._

_It couldn't be…, _insisted Chihiro in her head.

When the train finally stopped at the station nearest her high school, Chihiro had missed both first and second period, but made it just in time for the first recess in between classes. She snuck past the front gate monitor and then the hall monitor, and rushed down to the locker hall. Hurriedly, she took off her shoes, hastily threw them into the locker, and hastily strapped on her padded indoor school shoes. Then, with book bag in hand, she made a mad dash for her homeroom.

"'Morning, Ogino!" called out a familiar face from last year. "Where have you been?"

"Morning!" said Chihiro as she raced past.

"Chihiro! You're early for tomorrow!" laughed Mamoru as she ran past the other homerooms.

"Morning, Chihiro!" called the captain of the _kyudo_ archery team. "Tryouts are tomorrow afternoon! You need to come help judge the newcomers."

"Okay!" she called out behind her, continuing her furious one-person race.

"Ogino!" called out Ms. Matsui rather sternly as Chihiro rushed past. "You're late!"

"Sorry!" said Chihiro apologetically, hoping she wouldn't find a detention slip in her box after school. Most likely, she would.

She was trying to think up excuses as to why she was so late for class when her shoes screeched to a halt and she hopelessly crashed into Sachiko and another student as they were just turning the bend in her direction. Chihiro was bounced backwards onto the floor and the stack of papers the other student was carrying went flying like a bundle of paper birds flapping and fluttering to the ground.

"Chihiro!" exclaimed Sachiko. Grimacing from the pain of impact of her rear end and the hard linoleum floor, Chihiro squinted up at her friend.

"Sachi-chan," she replied weakly in greeting between gritted teeth and rubbing her sore rear end.

"Where have you been?" her friend demanded. "I was so worried about you, I was about to call the police!"

"Nowhere," said Chihiro, not knowing how to explain. "Nothing happened." Sachiko offered her hand to help her up.

"What happened with that creepy man?" asked Sachiko. But before Chihiro could think of any lame excuse the other student spoke.

"Didn't I see you at the temple this morning?" asked the other student who had been carrying the papers as Chihiro got on her feet again, dusting off her uniform. She turned to see the very familiar face of a young man, whom by all accounts really shouldn't be there. Chihiro's eyes went wide as she looked at him from head to toe. Kohaku was dressed in complete school attire down to the vest and jacket with the school emblem on its left pocket and the striped orange and black tie that were her school's colors neatly done in a perfect Windsor knot.

"Chihiro, this is—" began Sachiko.

"Kohaku!" she exclaimed, eyes still as wide as saucers.

"Yes, Haku," said Sachiko with a wry smile for her friend. "You know him? He's a new transfer student in our year. Transferred all the way from Mitake, can you believe it? He worked at the hotel right where we vacationed this summer. Isn't that a funny coincidence? He's also in homeroom class 5-C with us," explained Sachiko picking up the scattered student body address and general information forms on the floor. "And he tells me he wants to join the _kyudo_ team." Sachiko just looked at the pair, still staring at each other and smiled.

"I think he should sit next to you," she added cheerfully.

"Pleased to meet you," smiled Kohaku with a gleam in his shining dark green eyes that showed he was delighted in playing this new role. He offered his hand in greeting.

"Likewise," whispered Chihiro awkwardly, eyes still wide with disbelief and her face starting to flush. She reached out and Kohaku took her hand gently in his without letting go, as if to say, _We'll never be apart, again_. _I promise._

_Finis_.

* * *

Author's notes: YAY! Kohaku and Chihiro can now go to _masturi_ together, and O-ban festivals, and go shopping in Ebisu and Shibuya, and exchange Christmas presents, and Chihiro can bake him chocolate on Feb. 14, (and he can take her out on White Day) and they can be in the school play together just like other couples in the anime universe. Kohaku can wear jeans and t-shirts and normal street clothes! Ah_, sou ka_, _sou ka_…(nodding in approval)…heheheh, too much manga and Japanese _dorama_...

Miyazaki-sensei was too cruel in not telling us how it would be in the end. So then you have wierdos like me obsessing about how it should end and spouting fantastical stories left and right...Haha, I love that!

_Amrita_: is an old Sanscrit word meaning "nectar of the gods." It is also a very good book by Banana Yoshimoto. It is also the title of a song in the _Tsubasa Resevoir Chronicle_s character album. To be or not to be immortal, that is the question….

The _mitama _idea was borrowed from _Blue Seed_.

_Kyudo_: is Japanese archery. I've been fascinated with it ever since reading Yuu Watase's _Alice 19th. _It's a stylistic, and almost a ritual like performance like kabuki or Noh theater, in that the purpose is not just to hit the target, but to gain complete tranquility of mind and perfect position and form. It's almost a religious experience, which is why I thought it would fit her and the story perfectly.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!

-Kero


End file.
